Confirmation of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Toronto is raising concerns and questions among members of the University of Toronto community. Health officials continue to advise that the risk of contracting the virus remains low. University leaders are carefully monitoring the situation and are in communication with faculty experts who work in our affiliated teaching hospitals and in public health.
We will continue to keep our community informed of new developments through the U of T website and urge those seeking information to consult trusted sources such as Ontario.ca/coronavirus.
Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Should you experience these symptoms AND have recently travelled internationally to an affected region, avoid contact with others and contact your health-care professional or nearest hospital.
Read more about the coronavirus in this FAQ for the U of T community
Students travelling internationally should refer to the safety abroad office website safetyabroad.utoronto.ca.
Staff and faculty may refer to the Government of Canada’s travel advisory website travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories. Currently, the advice for China is to avoid all travel to the province of Hubei.
For students who do some learning in health-care settings, the leaders of the Universities health science faculties and OISE are aware of the steps needed to protect our students, should it become necessary. Learners, faculty and staff in a health science setting should follow the directions of the administration of the facility.
If students are unable to return to the university as a result of the travel restrictions, they should contact their registrar (undergraduate students) or graduate program (graduate students) to arrange for accommodations.
Previous updates from U of T on the coronavirus can be found here.
Resources:
Ontario Ministry of Health: Ontario.ca/coronavirus.
Toronto Public Health: www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/diseases-medication...
Peel Public Health: www.peelregion.ca/articles/2020/coronavirus.asp
Public Health Ontario: www.ontario.ca/page/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov
Public Health Agency of Canada: www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus.html
World Health Organization: www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
January 28, 2020