La Sierra University Statement on COVID-19

These steps have included the following:

• Initial campus messaging with important information about COVID-19 from Student Wellness Services.

• Suspension of university-based travel out of the country.

• Recommendation that any university campus members or visitors who are currently traveling abroad, have recently traveled abroad, or are planning personal travel abroad in the coming weeks refrain from coming to campus for 14 days after arriving back in the U.S.

• Direction to faculty to prepare action plans for providing lessons and exams remotely so that students can continue toward their education goals.

• Advice to students and other campus members who develop flu-like symptoms to return home or to their dorm rooms and call Student Wellness Services, before walking in, for an over-the-phone risk assessment. Once assessed, information on next steps will be provided. This service is available Mon.-Thurs., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fri., 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at 951-785-2200.

• Tips on how to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19.

What is known about COVID-19:

• COVID-19 is a disease resulting from the virus SARS-CoV-2 which is one of seven different coronaviruses that infect humans. SARS-CoV-2 had not been detected in humans or animals before December of 2019.

• COVID-19 is a respiratory disease with flu-like symptoms (coughing, fever, difficulty breathing) that can progress to more serious respiratory illnesses, like pneumonia.

• Disease severity is low for most people under the age of 60. More than 80% of those infected have mild (cold-like) or no symptoms.

• Individuals over the age of 60 or who have medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., are at a dramatically increased risk of experiencing severe symptoms.

Ways to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing;

• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol;

• Disinfect surfaces you touch frequently on a regular basis;

• Cough/sneeze into the crook of your arm or into a tissue; 

• Practice social distancing (two armlengths between you and other people); 

• Fist bumps instead of handshakes and hugs.      

From the CDC: “COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) virus, and we are learning more about it every day. There is currently no vaccine to protect against COVID-19. At this point, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes it. Stopping transmission (spread) of the virus through everyday practices is the best way to keep people healthy. Learn more about COVID-19.”          

Local impacts of COVID-19:

News media reported Sunday, March 8 that Riverside County Department of Public Health had declared a state of emergency, pending county board ratification, following the discovery of a first case of locally acquired COVID-19. The individual is reportedly being treated at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, approximately 77 miles from La Sierra University. The county's public health officer has emphasized in reports that community exposure is low. As of March 5, there were no reported cases in neighboring San Bernardino County, according to the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. The State of California on March 4 declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus.

Riverside County Department of Public Health news can be accessed here: https://www.rivcoph.org
San Bernardino County Department of Public Health news can be accessed here: http://wp.sbcounty.gov/dph/

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as of March 5, a total of 99 cases of COVID-19 exist in 13 states including in California. The CDC also notes the following under the Risk Assessment portion of its site dedicated to COVID-19:  “At this time, however, most people in the United States will have little immediate risk of exposure to this virus.”

Please click here to access the CDC's daily updated count of COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

Monitoring the situation and federal guidance:

University administration will continue to closely monitor information about COVID-19 through communication with county health officials, with other Seventh-day Adventist schools and regional higher education institutions, and by gathering information from news media reports and federal advisories. 

Much of the protocol enacted recently by university administration is in keeping with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which, among other things, has called upon higher education institutions to either postpone or cancel student foreign exchange programs. University administration is also receiving guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on how to comply with federal regulations when dealing with COVID-19-related interruptions to student study programs.

 While administration cannot predict the future potential impacts which COVID-19 may have on students, staff and faculty, the university believes it has a window of opportunity to take practical steps in preparation for the worst case scenario. The university believes these steps are prudent and necessary, even if a severe pandemic of the coronavirus does not materialize. As such, university administration has made decisions which it recognizes may cause significant inconveniences, but believes that erring on the side of caution and prioritizing health and safety is the best approach to these unfolding circumstances.   

Because of the fluid nature of this situation and because estimates of the impact of the virus may change or prove inaccurate, please know that going forward university policy may also change in dealing with the crisis.