Shenandoah University wants the campus community to be well-informed regarding Ebola, its impact in the world and the university’s protocol for handling contagious diseases.
Personal hygiene helps prevent the spread of most communicable diseases. The only way a person can get Ebola is through direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is already showing symptoms of the disease. You cannot get Ebola through:
• casual contact with someone who has no symptoms of the disease
• air or water
• food in the U.S.
According to the university’s Center for International Programs, no Global Citizenship Project (GCP) or Global Experiential Learning (GEL) trips will be traveling to or transferring through any of the affected areas.
University administrators and additional members of the Shenandoah community are trained in Incident Command System (ICS), a standardized, on-scene, all-hazard approach to incident management developed by FEMA as mandated by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. The use of ICS provides standardization through consistent terminology and established organizational structures. This week, administrators and staff met again to develop an Ebola exposure plan using the Incident Command System.
The Wilkins Wellness Center and Center for International Programs will continue to closely monitor news from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Students and their families may find this CDC site particularly helpful: Advice for Colleges, Universities and Students About Ebola This site has been reviewed by Shenandoah to ensure the university’s practices align with it.
Shenandoah University is prepared for any eventuality.