To the University of Miami Community:
Consistent with our ongoing efforts to provide you with the latest information, we are writing to notify you that one member of the University of Miami medical campus community has tested positive for COVID-19. This person is in good condition and is self-isolating to prevent the spread of infection to others. Our best wishes have been extended to the individual for a rapid recovery.
The positive test results are considered presumptive, pending confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We are following the recommended CDC and public health protocols to inform and provide guidance to those who have been in close contact with this individual during the period when they might have been contagious. Out of respect for patient privacy and because this is a public health issue, there will not be any further information about individual cases beyond notifications to our community.
We recognize that any positive test is likely to increase anxiety among the medical campus and University community. A positive test result—presumptive or confirmed—underscores the need for the University, the health system, and the medical school to continue a swift and comprehensive response to the COVID-19 outbreak:
- We have shifted to online instruction for all classes at all University of Miami campuses;
- We have established a policy on remote work for all employees;
- We have strongly encouraged students in on-campus housing to return to their permanent residence and will partially close on-campus housing beginning March 25;
- We continue to seek the best guidance from public health experts, including those at the University and our UHealth system;
- We are sanitizing all facilities and public spaces on a continuous basis.
UHealth and the Miller School of Medicine’s expert physicians continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control, establishing protocols for the protection of all who enter our hospitals, clinical spaces, and research and medical education areas, including:
- Screening all visitors at clinical entry points and over the phone, documenting their travel history and any symptoms they may currently be experiencing;
- Moving suspected patients immediately to an isolated room for further examination;
- Having dedicated isolation rooms and clinical staff for any presumptive and confirmed patients;
- Equipping clinical staff with approved and recommended personal protective equipment (PPE);
- Establishing a policy of remote work for non-clinical employees.
Your health and safety continue to be essential concerns for the University. By acting together—following the advice of public health experts to practice social distancing, avoiding public spaces, limiting movement, and exercising good hand hygiene—we can help slow the spread of the virus
The University’s dedicated COVID-19 site, which can be found at coronavirus.miami.edu, is updated constantly and will continue to serve as the best and most up-to-date source for information regarding the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information specific to our medical community can be found at http://my.med.miami.edu. We will continue to provide regular updates.
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