Henderson taking coronavirus precautions

Henderson State University is reviewing Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and planning for any needed response to protect the health and safety of its students, faculty, and staff. The university is sanitizing classroom and public spaces beyond normal cleaning procedures and also considering options for alternate class delivery should that become necessary.

Symptoms of coronavirus include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Methods to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus are the same precautions taken to limit the flu:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap

  • Use hand sanitizer

  • Wipe down common surfaces (phones, tables, keyboards, desks) with disinfecting cloths

  • But most of all – stay home if you are sick

Students experiencing symptoms are encouraged to call the Student Health Center at (870) 230-5102 for assistance. If students who live in residence halls feel unwell, they should call on their residential staff members who are ready to assist them and connect them with the care they need. Students should communicate with professors to advise of illness and to make up missed assignments.

Employees should also err on the side of caution and stay home and seek guidance from their medical care providers if they or someone in their households experience any of the symptoms listed above.

Henderson has already suspended official university travel for students to international destinations for spring break. Decisions about summer trips are in progress. Members of the campus community are encouraged to be aware of CDC travel health advisories and to take appropriate precautions.

Information regarding implementation of a campus response plan would be communicated via university social media channels. The campus community also can register for Rave alerts at https://www.getrave.com/login/hsu.

More information about the coronavirus can be found at:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html

https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/novel-coronavirus

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices

“Please know that we are monitoring the situation closely and are calling on experts on and off campus for guidance,” said Henderson Acting President Elaine Kneebone. “We all want to do our part to keep our students and our campus community healthy, so I encourage you to incorporate the prevention steps listed above in your daily routine. We will keep you posted as we learn more.”