When my daughters were pretty little, we went to Meijer on one of our weekly grocery shopping trips. I remember putting the girls in the cart and one of them put her mouth on the metal. It was late winter, and I was horrified. About 24 hours later, she was very sick.

She was too little to make it to the bathroom so as she vomited, I caught it on a towel or on my shirt as best I could.

Inevitably, her sister came down with the same illnesses pretty quickly. She couldn’t keep anything in her belly, not even water, and both girls became dehydrated. One of them had to go to the hospital because her skin stuck together when we pinched it.

I did what I needed to to protect my kids. We got flu shots, we washed our hands often, we cleaned their toys. But no matter what I did, they were susceptible to the stomach virus; a strain that was particularly harsh for them at the time.

I will admit that I am prepared for my children to be exposed to and potentially even get COVID-19. My guess is that because they are healthy and young, they’ll more than likely be okay.

But, I know that this is not how we should look at illness. What we need to be really cautious about is when we are in situations where our health could impact someone else.

I’ll be honest; I don’t quite know how to do that. If my throat gets that early-morning throat feeling, do I cancel things? Am I at risk if I don’t have any symptoms? Could I be carrying something and not even know it? I have a couple of meetings set up with people who are over 60 set up in the next week. Do I keep those meetings or cancel them?

I don’t have the right or wrong answers, but these are the things that I’m thinking about.

There are a lot of viruses out there. Yes, a lot of them have high contagion rates. But they are so common that we just get our flu shot or take our tamiflu and go on with life. At least some of us do, because some of us also die; the people who are at a greater risk die because someone, somewhere didn’t take the necessary precautions to ensure that the virus could have been contained.

COVID-19 and our reaction to it or its potential, has me thinking a lot about how we are just humans.

We are all just creatures in this very complex world. We yell at and judge one another, but at the end of the day, our bodies are all made up of the same things and that is why our bodies are all susceptible to viruses, bacteria, cancers and disease.

We have to take care of our self in order to take care of one another. If I am in tune with and take care of me, that impacts you. If you are in tune with your self and take care of you, then that impacts me.

The reality that we live in, though, is that we push through and we make excuses for both need and social pleasure. A single mom who is raising kids needs to go to work so that she can continue to take care of those kids. A boy who is running a fever feels like he needs to go to a track meet so that he can earn his varsity letter. Students who are getting out on spring break need to have fun so they take advantage of very low airfare to travel the world.

These decisions ultimately impact my mother-and-father-in-law, who are over 60 years old. These decisions affect babies whose lungs aren’t fully developed. These decisions impact the mother with stage 4 breast cancer who just wants to live long enough to see her daughter graduate.

If we take anything away from this moment, even if we think that the world has lost its mind and is causing hysteria, we should remember this: we are human beings, made of skin and bones, and we are not the most powerful creatures in the world. We are fragile and susceptible, just like everything else in this world.

We have viruses, bacteria, cancer and other diseases that can really affect us, even if it means that we spend a few days in bed or at home. There’s something beautiful about being in tune with that because maybe it can help us see that there are other creatures, human or not, that are also affected by forces that can be harmful to them.

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Dear faculty, staff and students:

We write today to share new policies for the University of Illinois System and its universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield, all designed to protect the health and welfare of our students, faculty and staff amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The proactive policies are focused squarely on doing our part to help curb the virus. Fortunately, there have been no confirmed cases among our faculty, staff and students. But such cases have been increasing in Illinois and our experts say early intervention is the best option to limit the spread.

Our policies will adopt best practices endorsed by state and national health officials by minimizing face-to-face exposure in classrooms and other types of large gatherings, and by limiting international and domestic travel. They were developed with guidance from the leading-edge healthcare experts across our universities, who have been consulting daily with a leadership team composed of the president, the chancellors and the provosts from all three universities. We will continue to monitor the outbreak and stay in constant contact with the Governor’s Office, the Illinois Department of Public Health, local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other universities around the state and the nation.

The new policies were carefully crafted to safeguard our students, faculty and staff without compromising the world-class education and the groundbreaking research discovery that are synonymous with the U of I System. They are:

Instruction

• Courses at each of our three universities will immediately begin migrating to online or alternative delivery mechanisms to provide the social distancing that helps limit transmission of the virus, with a goal of completion by March 23. Classes will be held at their currently scheduled times.
• Online and other alternative learning methods will continue until further notice, but our expectation is that it will be temporary and students will be updated regularly via email and updates on system and university websites.
• Students have the option of studying remotely from home or from their campus residence after spring break.
• Our campuses will remain open and ready to serve students, including residence and dining halls.
• Each university will provide specific guidance for their students regarding both academic and housing arrangements.
• Faculty and staff will continue their work on campus, including research, and human resources offices will provide guidance for work conditions that foster safety and for employees who suspect exposure or infection and must self-quarantine.

Events

• Events with more than 50 attendees that are university-sponsored or hosted by registered student organizations will be suspended indefinitely, effective Friday, March 13.
• Events may occur via livestream or other telecommunications, or be postponed to a future date.
• Please check with each university for specific guidance.

Travel

• All university-sponsored international travel is prohibited, along with non-essential domestic travel until further notice.
• Personal international travel is strongly discouraged, and we urge caution and the exercise of good judgment for personal domestic travel.

Leaders of our three universities will share further information for how these policies will be implemented to address the specific educational and safety needs of their campus communities. UI Hospital and clinics will provide additional protocols to address the unique needs in providing care for their patients.

We recognize the many challenges this will create for our students, faculty and staff. We pledge to do everything in our power to support you during this temporary move to safeguard your health and the health of people in the communities we call home.

Our policies are rooted in our expert scientific knowledge base and exhibit an abundance of caution to take care of each other until the COVID-19 outbreak eases. We are all in this together, and appreciate your support and understanding.

Sincerely,

Tim Killeen, President, University of Illinois System
Barbara J. Wilson, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Illinois System
Robert J. Jones, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Michael D. Amiridis, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Chicago
Susan J. Koch, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Springfield

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As of March 11, there are no reported cases of COVID-19 in Champaign County. Ammons’ office said this is a precautionary measure to protect the health and safety of a population with compromised immune systems.  

The following locations will not be polling locations for the 2020 General Primary Election on March 17, 2020.  

Clark-Lindsey in Champaign
The Glenwood in Mahomet
Eagle View Retirement Home in Rantoul

The Champaign County Clerk’s office will redirect voters from Clark Lindsey to St. Matthews Lutheran Church in Urbana (2200 S Philo Rd Urbana, 61802); the Glenwood voters in Mahomet will be redirected to the Elk’s Pavilion at Lake of the Woods Park (109 S. Lake of the Woods Rd. Mahomet,  61853), and voters from Eagle View Retirement Home in Rantoul will be redirected to the Gathering Place (200 S Century Blvd. Rantoul, 61866).

The Champaign County Clerk is also encouraging voters to take advantage of early voting and the vote by mail option to help prevent long lines and large numbers of people in one place on election day, March 17, 2020.  Early voting is open until March 16, 2020 or voters can call to request a vote by mail ballot. 

Please call the Champaign County Clerk’s office with any questions 217-384-3720 or 284-3724.   

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According to a press release, Parkland’s campus is not closed; Parkland will remain open and operational.

Administration and staff will remain on campus for regular working hours.

Lecture components of all courses will move online beginning March 23, 2020, while lab and studio components of all courses will continue to meet on-campus.

The Parkland Child Development Center will also remain open so long as it is safe for families and students.

President Tom Ramage said that Parkland’s leadership has been actively tracking the developments of the COVID-19 virus and collaborating with local and state public health agencies to take the necessary precautions to address this viral threat on campus.

“The College’s response seeks to strike a balance between preparedness and caution,” Rampage wrote. “Today, we will be taking additional steps to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 transmission onto the Parkland College campus. The College will implement this plan through April 3, 2020, and continue to reevaluate as new information becomes available.”

Students have been instructed to check their Parkland email accounts for updates from their faculty regarding the status of their classes.

Parkland has also launched a new informational website, www.parkland.edu/covid19, aimed at informing the campus community about COVID-19.

Students, faculty, and staff returning from a CDC Level 2 or 3 country will continue to be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.

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A cruise ship quarantined with passengers on board, elevated travel precautions, reports of fatalities and talk of a pandemic have captivated news reports for months, with an escalation in both national and local reports in the weeks since the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed within the United States.

Coronaviruses, a specific family of viruses, known to make up one-third of the upper respiratory infections (or common cold) during cold and flu season, has a novel, or new, strands that can cause more severe disease in humans.

“Essentially this is a new virus, although it is related to other coronaviruses that we have previously identified,” Christie Clinic’s Dr. Michael Kuhlenschmidt said. “Technically speaking, this is a betacoronavirus in the same subgenus as the virus that caused the SARS outbreak in early 2003. This virus does seem to share similarities with the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus.

“In fact, it has been suggested that the virus that causes COVID-19 be designated SARS-CoV-2 because of this similarity.”

According to the World Health Organization, SARS was first identified in 2002 in the Guangdong province of southern China. An epidemic of SARS affected 26 countries and resulted in more than 8,000 cases and 774 deaths before it was contained in 2003.

Another novel coronavirus MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) was first reported in 2012.  The World Health Organization reports that since 2019, 2,494 cases and 858 deaths have been reported.

According to live update work by John Hopkins University, on Jan. 22 there were 77 COVID-19 cases worldwide whereas on March 5, there are 97,771 cases and 3,346 deaths.

Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said that the person-to-person transmission rate suggests that it mimics the way that influenza spreads: respiratory droplets through coughing and sneezing or contact with contaminated surfaces.

Symptoms of COVID-19 resemble those of a cold, but people with a more serious infection present with a significant fever, shortness of breath, and severe cough.

“Pneumonia seems to be the most common severe manifestation of COVID-19,” Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said. “The virus was first identified in Wuhan City, China after investigation into an unusual cluster of cases of severe pneumonia.”

Although the primary source of COVID-19 is still unknown, Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said that it shares a great deal of similarity to certain bat coronaviruses.

“It appears that bats are the primary source, although it is uncertain if there is another intermediate host involved,” he said.

“Since this coronavirus is novel or new to humans, our natural immunity to this virus is lacking.”

Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said that each year the coronavirus, a common virus, may cause up to one-third of the upper respiratory infections (or common cold) during cold and flu season.

“The vast majority of these virus strains are mild and do not cause severe illness,” he said. “For example, the typical coronaviruses are often less severe than influenza, however there have been exceptions.”

Like most coronaviruses and influenza, Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said the “virus seems to cause more severe infection proportional to age with the oldest population being the highest risk.

“It appears that this virus does not cause significant illness in young children less than 10 years old, although it is critical to restate that we still do not know everything about this virus and all people, including children, should take precautions,” he said.

“As with many respiratory viruses including influenza, people with chronic medical conditions, specifically lung disease such as COPD or asthma, chronic heart disease, or diseases that affect the immune system, are at particularly high risk for severe infection from COVID-19.

“Infection in nursing homes is a major concern.”

Dr. Kuhlenschmidt suggests that those presenting with mild symptoms should avoid going to the doctor or emergency room.

“COVID-19 is still rare in the U.S. and it is far more likely that symptoms are due to another seasonal virus including influenza,” he said.

“However, in situations such as travel to an at-risk country within 14 days of the start of symptoms (China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan) or direct exposure to a patient confirmed to have COVID-19, it is important to get tested. In this situation, call your medical provider’s office. They may test you without an appointment in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus. You may also be directed to the Public Health Department.

“Waiting rooms and hospitals are a perfect place to spread the virus to someone else, or have it passed to you. Testing can often be arranged if you meet certain criteria. Your doctor or other healthcare provider can offer guidance.”

Healthcare providers use a nose or throat swab to test for the specific genetic sequence of the coronavirus.

“Virus swabs are available at any clinic, but specific testing is done with help from the Public Health Department/CDC,” he said.

But if symptoms are severe, such as high fever or shortness of breath, especially with the risk factors described previously, seek care in the emergency room.

“These are signs of possible severe infection that may require hospitalization,” Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said. “As medical providers, we are making every effort to keep patients out of the emergency room unless it is likely that a patient may need hospital admission for treatment.”

The rapid spread of COVID-19 and the death-rate is causing pause among healthcare professionals.

“In terms of case fatality rate (or percentage of infected people who die from the infection) this appears to be a deadlier virus that other seasonal viruses including influenza,” Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said. “The case fatality rate of COVID-19 appears to be around 2%, but this is highly dependent on age and other health conditions. This rate of 2% does mirror the SARS epidemic from the early 2000’s, which is not surprising given the similarities.

“For context, the case fatality rate of influenza is significantly less than 1% (probably around 0.1% although certain influenza strains are deadlier). However, it should be noted that the case fatality rate of COVID-19 may actually be lower than initial estimates due to under-reporting of mild disease. Most patients who are tested have severe symptoms which may make the disease appear deadlier than it is.

“There is still much more we need to learn about this virus before drawing any confident conclusions.”

There is one thing that health care professionals are sure of: hand washing is the human’s best tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“This goes back to basics,” Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said. “The most important interventions to prevent the spread of the virus are all things we learned in grade school. Wash your hands frequently, don’t cough on other people, stay home when you are sick, and avoid contact with other people who are sick.

“We don’t have a vaccine available and there is no anti-viral.  Prevention is key and can dramatically reduce the spread of this virus.”

He also said facemasks probably won’t work, but they likely don’t hurt, either.

“Facemasks might help prevent transmitting the virus to someone else if you are sick and wear one,” Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said.

He, like others, is hopeful that like influenza and the common cold, cases of COVID-19 will subside with warmer weather.

“This is still unclear though and I would say that it is too early to tell. From what we know of this virus currently, it can reasonably be expected to be seasonal,” he said.

Regardless, Dr. Kuhlenschmidt said that COVID-19 is a significant public health threat that should be respected.

“However, as we all know, disinformation and rumor cause a great deal of panic and harm.  It is important to follow valid sources for updates such as the CDC.

“Again, in ideal circumstances, if we were to experience an outbreak here locally, having the flexibility to stay home and avoid public places would help.

“Common sense preparations including stocking up on basics would be reasonable. However, it is far too early to tell what impact from this virus we will see here in the U.S. There are more cases reported daily, but at this point, it is still rare in the U.S.”

Rural Champaign County Schools

Local school districts are monitoring the spread of COVID-19 closely, with a steady stream of emails to parents to help them understand how the coronavirus might impact the student population.

St. Joseph-Ogden’s superintendent Brian Brooks said that the district will continue to take the same precautions that it does to contain the spread of influenza, colds, stomach viruses, and other sicknesses.

“We clean and sanitize our building/classrooms daily,” Brooks said. “We have also sanitized our buses more than once already as well.”

Heritage’s Superintendent Tom Davis said Influenza A or B have not impacted student attendance in the district this winter.

“We had one small spike of absences back in January but that was about it,” Davis said. “We are staying aware of what’s in the media and also Illinois in particular.”

Superintendents in St. Joseph, St. Joseph-Ogden, Heritage, Mahomet-Seymour, Prairieview-Ogden and Oakwood school districts are following guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department:

Some of the recommendations that have been given to all schools are:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.  If soap and water are not available, then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home when you are sick. This is very important not only for the Coronavirus, but we are also seeing influenza and stomach virus cases with students and staff.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throw the tissue in the trash. Do not cover your mouth/nose with your hands when coughing or sneezing.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Brooks included that there is zero reason at this time to consider cancelling school due to the coronavirus.

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