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Wayne State announces two employees test positive for COVID-19

Police to hold training at Wayne State
Posted at 4:18 PM, Mar 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-18 21:07:00-04

(WXYZ) — Wayne State University says two of their employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

President Roy Wilson made the announcement in a letter to the university community:

Dear members of the Wayne State community,

Today, we learned that two members of the Wayne State community have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). These are the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Wayne State University. Our thoughts are with the employees and their friends and families, and we wish them a speedy recovery. Now we turn our attention to you and the safety of others on our campus.

In line with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol, these individuals are now under the care of trained clinicians and will be in isolation off campus.

The appropriate health authorities, in adherence to the CDC protocols for COVID-19, are in communication with the employees, and are reaching out to students, faculty and staff who may have had direct contact with them. Those individuals will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days, monitor their symptoms, and call their personal care providers or the Campus Health Center if they experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

I know this announcement causes you concern, and this is understandable. This is serious, and as a medical doctor with a background in epidemiology, I share your concern. Please know that the university has been active in our preparations for this event since well before the coronavirus became a pandemic, and we will continue to do all we can to minimize the risk to our campus community.

I also feel compelled to continue reminding all of us to take precautions. If you are not feeling well, or believe you have been exposed to the coronavirus, please follow the CDC guidelines [go.wayne.edu] and stay home. This is especially important, as we understand that one of the infected individuals continued coming to work after becoming ill. This virus is very contagious – now is not the time for this sort of heroism. If you are exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever, dry cough and/or shortness of breath), please call the Campus Health Center [go.wayne.edu] or your primary care provider for an immediate evaluation. When you call, let them know what your symptoms are and if you've traveled out of the country or to a high-risk area in the United States recently. Social distancing is critical to stopping the spread of this virus.

We will continue to provide regular updates. Wayne State’s COVID-19 website [go.wayne.edu] is the best source of information about the impact of the virus on our university community and provides answers to frequently asked questions [go.wayne.edu].

Please take care of yourselves.

Sincerely,

M. Roy Wilson signature

M. Roy Wilson
President