Penn State Restricts Student Travel to China Following Coronavirus Outbreak

Penn State is restricting all university-affiliated travel to China for its students in the wake of the current coronavirus outbreak.

The university is also urging faculty and staff to reconsider any upcoming plans to visit the country, which will remain on Penn State’s restricted list until the current coronavirus outbreak is contained.

“The safety of our students and employees traveling overseas is our number one priority. We have a small number of faculty and staff travelers currently in China, but there are no records for upcoming faculty or staff travel to China through the end of May,” Joe Thurston, the global safety analyst with Penn State Global Programs, said in a press release. “Likewise, we have no student programming in China at this time and no upcoming student travel records to the country through the end of May.”

The CDC has issued a Level 3 travel warning and recommends avoiding all nonessential travel to China. The State Department has issued a Level 3 advisory to “reconsider travel” to China and a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the Hubei Province.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus — a new strain of the respiratory illness not previously found in humans — a global health emergency.

The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, and it’s spread to other countries. To date, at least 213 people have died and nearly 10,000 cases have been reported in mainland China. At least 140 cases have been confirmed in more than 20 other countries, but no deaths.  There have been six confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States — including the first person-to-person transmission of the disease in Illinois.

Penn State has been in contact with the few employees currently traveling in China to communicate the latest travel advice and to serve as a resource for questions and concerns.

Although Dr. Robin Oliver-Veronesi, senior director of University Health Services, confirmed that there are no cases of the coronavirus at Penn State and no reports of the virus in Pennsylvania, the State Department is taking action before it spreads.

“We are taking every precaution to prepare for an outbreak,” Oliver-Veronesi said. “Coronavirus symptoms can be very similar to those of the flu, which is very active right now. So, we urge anyone with flu-like symptoms to contact their health care provider for an evaluation.”  

According to the World Health Organization, common signs of coronavirus include mild to severe respiratory illness with a fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, the ailment can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. The suspected incubation period of the virus is believed to be from two to 14 days.

University Park students experiencing symptoms can begin the screening process for coronavirus over the phone by calling the UHS Advice Nurse at (814) 863-4463. Students can also contact the Global Safety Office for more information.

Centre County Report’s Luke Lacher talks with experts at the university about novel coronavirus and what, if any threat, coronavirus poses to Central Pennsylvanians.