UM Memo-Important

As a follow-up to Friday’s tweet from Provost Noel Wilkin about possible COVID-19 cases affiliated with Greek organizations, university officials have confirmed four positive cases among residents of one Greek house. The students who tested positive immediately entered isolation away from the Greek house in order to prevent virus spread.

The university is following guidance from the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), which calls for other residents of a Greek house to enter quarantine for 14 days when three or more students living in the house test positive for COVID-19. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from the Mississippi State Department of Health. Students who are in quarantine should not attend in-person classes.

UM and MSDH are conducting contact tracing on the students who tested positive. The contact tracing team will notify those who may have been in close contact with the individuals who tested positive. Staff and students are encouraged to download Everbridge, the secure smartphone app that allows individuals to self-report their positive COVID-19 status and helps university contact tracers notify anyone who came in close contact to people who are positive and may have been exposed to the virus. The Everbridge app can be downloaded for free in Apple and Android app stores or by clicking here.

In an effort to slow the spread of the virus, we request your immediate attention to and adherence to the following health-authority-recommended practices – not only to ensure your own well-being, but the well-being of others:

• Stay home when ill or if other family members are ill.
• Maintain social distancing of at least six feet.
• Wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Watch for cough, troubled breathing, or other signs of respiratory infection.
• Monitor temperature for a fever above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C).

Ongoing updates regarding UM’s response to COVID-19 will be posted on coronavirus.olemiss.edu. For further information, please visit msdh.ms.gov.