This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the transmission and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will update this guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available. Please check the following CDC website periodically for updated interim guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
Health officials are currently taking steps to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19 into US communities. IHE play an important role in this effort. Through collaboration and coordination with local health departments, IHE should take steps to disseminate information about the disease and its potential transmission within their IHE community. IHE should prepare to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among their students and staff should local health officials identify community transmission.
IHE should continue to collaborate, share information, and review plans with local health officials to help protect the whole IHE community, including those with special health needs. IHE plans should be designed to complement other community mitigation strategies to protect high risk populations and the healthcare system and minimize disruption to teaching and learning and protect students, staff, and faculty from social stigma and discrimination. Plans should build on everyday practices (e.g., encouraging hand hygiene, monitoring absenteeism, communicating routinely) that include strategies for before, during, and after a possible outbreak.