Coronavirus (COVID-19) Frequently Asked Questions

• Fighting against anxiety can make it worse. Instead, accept that it is normal to feel worried or anxious about things that are uncertain or threatening. One way to accept anxiety is to observe and describe it. For example, you might notice: “my heart is racing, and I keep thinking about 'what if' scenarios.” Normalizing and accepting the anxiety can have the paradoxical effect of reducing the anxiety; while trying to ignore or deny it can make the anxiety stronger.
• Get the facts and then move on. Rather than spending extended time reading social media posts about the risks of COVID-19, review a fact sheet from the CDC or another trusted source. Limit the amount of time you spend daily focused on COVID-19 information. 
• Human beings tend to overestimate risks related to unfamiliar and uncertain threats. Challenge your worrisome thoughts with facts and remind yourself to focus on what is actually happening.
• Anxiety can lead us to forget that we possess strengths and coping skills. Remind yourself that even if you are impacted by this situation, you have skills to cope, and there are systems in place to help you. This includes focusing on what you can control (washing your hands, practicing self-care, knowing the facts) and letting go of what you cannot.
• Don’t forget about the importance of self care. Be deliberate about getting enough rest, proper nutrition, intentional movement, and support from your friends and family. Self care can help us be resilient in the face of stress.

Patients who test positive may come off isolation 7 days after onset of symptoms AND

• No fever for the past 3 days without using fever reducers AND
• Improved respiratory symptoms for the past 3 days, they may still have some mild symptoms.

• Students with the university-sponsored health insurance, United Health Care, can access a medical provider 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for free at www.telehealth4students.com.
• University Student Health Center will be open between 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. We ask that students call for an appointment and not walk in for an appointment at this time. Call the clinic at 660-543-4770. The health center is providing some telephone care and actively working on setting up telehealth.
• International students who need assistance with insurance questions are being referred to the Health Center and to the insurance provider based on their question.

Please contact the Office of Graduate and International Student Services for further assistance.

• If a person is returning to campus from travel to a level 3 risk country but does not have a roommate or suitemate, the person will be able to stay in their assigned room with their belongings.
• If a person is returning to campus from travel to a level 3 risk country AND has a roommate or suitemate, the person who traveled will be relocated.

• Acting on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, UCM asks that you remain at home and not return to campus if you meet any of these “stay-at-home” guidelines:
  • have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing
  • have had close contact with an individual who has a known positive case of COVID-19
  • have traveled to an area where there are 30 or more known cases of coronavirus. (See https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html)
• If you meet any of the above criteria you should stay at home for 14 days, call your medical provider, and follow self quarantine instructions.
• If you meet any of the above criteria, but you are unable to safely remain at home, contact the University Health Center at uhc@ucmo.edu. A member of the COVID-19 Medical Team will consult with you to make an individualized plan for monitoring your symptoms and for safe housing.
• Follow CDC guidelines for quarantine and social distancing

The University Health Center typically keeps a small supply of hand sanitizer in stock at the dispensary for sale, however, this item has been backordered and is not currently available. Masks are not available for sale at the Health Center at this time. We are trying to order more personal protective equipment supplies.

• Even when symptoms are mild, people are still contagious. If high-risk individuals, such as elderly or those with underlying health conditions, get sick from COVID-19 they often become critically ill, requiring hospitalization.
• There aren’t enough hospital and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds or health care workers for the expected increase in demand.
• Currently, there is no vaccine or medicine to treat this virus. Because it is a new virus no one has immunity.
• Research has shown that the death rate for COVID-19 is higher than influenza.

• Practice good basic hygiene:
  • stay home as much as possible
  • stay home if you are sick (except to get necessary medical care)
  • clean and sanitize frequently touched surfaces often throughout the day
  • wash your hands often
  • use hand sanitizer often
  • cover your cough with your elbow (not your hand)
  • avoid touching your eyes/nose/mouth with unwashed hands
  • avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • drink plenty of water
  • eat healthy foods (avoid junk foods)
  • practice social distancing (if you need to go where other people are
  • try to stay six feet away from others)
• Support your immune system:
  • get 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily
  • eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
  • drink plenty of water daily
  • get regular exercise
  • decrease stress.
• More information is on the CDC’s prevention page.
• For updates and information, follow:
  • the University Health Center Facebook page
  • the Campus Community Health Facebook page
  • the CCH Twitter feed, and/or
  • the CCH Instagram feed

The Office of Human Resources suggests that employees follow CDC guidelines regarding isolation and self-care. If an employee needs to be quarantined or isolated, FMLA, leaves of absence, or reasonable accommodations may apply. Please contact Ranea Taylor for assistance with available options under COVID-19 at 660-543-4255.

• At this time, the university remains open with services including computer labs, the James C. Kirkpatrick Library, and other services remain available on the Warrensburg campus for continued access by students who live in residence halls or who come to campus. This situation is fluid and could change rapidly as deemed necessary. Please follow the most recent information posted online at www.ucmo.edu/coronavirus.
• In the event of a complete university closure, the university will identify services available at that time and communicate that information to the campus community through email and at www.ucmo.edu/coronavirus.

• Essential personnel are generally defined as faculty and staff members who are required to report to their designated work location to ensure the operation of essential functions or departments during an emergency or when the university has suspended operations. If an employee can perform essential tasks remotely- they are not designated as essential personnel. 

• Essential personnel will be communicated that they are essential through position descriptions and a designation letter that has been sent to them.

Employees who are sick should stay home and contact Human Resources. Employees sick for any reason may be required by the university to not report to work. Accrued leave will be utilized. Employees utilizing sick leave between now and May 10 will not be required to provide a doctor’s note. Anyone staying home from work for reasons related to COVID-19 are encouraged to provide Human Resources with that information.

Email communication from the President and/or Provost will contain directives regarding action to be taken by UCM faculty. Additional information will be found on UCM’s coronavirus website ucmo.edu/coronavirus.

As of March 30, 2020 all faculty should be prepared to have content in Blackboard e.g. discussion posting, lectures, etc. There will be face-to-face and online training sessions offered through the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) for those needing assistance in basic Blackboard use and function. College deans will inform you of the training session you will be attending.

• Information is available on the COVID-19 webpage regarding resources for labs and workshops.
• Face-to-face and online training sessions will be offered for all teaching faculty the week of March 23, 2020 through the Center for Teaching and Learning. This training is for those desiring assistance in basic Blackboard use and function, if you are not already teaching online or teaching a hybrid course.
• The Blackboard Community is called UCM Faculty Training (log into BB -> go to the My Community tab on the upper right and click on it -> look for the My Organizations section and click on the hyperlink for UCM Faculty Training). This Blackboard Community offers a variety of information resources and videos on utilizing Blackboard effectively in the teaching environment.
• The Faculty Online Resources document is linked in the COVID-19 webpage, and provides resources for faculty teaching alternate structure courses. https://www.ucmo.edu/news/media-resources/corona-virus-covid-19/online-course-delivery-resources-faculty
  

• Students who are asymptomatic with COVID-19 should be able to continue their course virtually. Students who are symptomatic should notify their instructors and be directed to the Office of Student Experience and Engagement for short-term absences and the Office of Accessibility Services for ongoing accommodations. Students should follow CDC guidance about when to visit their healthcare provider.
• If a student is unable to attend class virtually because of a lack of personal device, they may be eligible to receive one through Academic Programs and Services, pending availability.
• Students without access to the Warrensburg campus and who do not have access to a computer and/or the internet should contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Services at 660-543-8059 or academicprograms@ucmo.edu for assistance.

Academic freedom refers to the freedom of research and the discussion of subjects or the content of your course. Academic freedom does not refer to the delivery method determined by the university.

https://www.ucmo.edu/offices/general-counsel/university-policy-library/policies/academic-freedom-and-tenure/

Please refer to this website:

https://www.ucmo.edu/offices/general-counsel/university-policy-library/procedures/travel-guidelines-and-procedures/

• Custodial staff will need our help, they can’t possibly keep up with all the increased cleaning required during an infectious disease outbreak. It would be a good idea to clean frequent touch surfaces every few hours or after every class. Frequent touch surfaces are desk tops, arm rests, door knobs, light switches, shared keyboards. Cleaning supplies will be provided by the university. Custodial staff will be responsible for drinking fountains, bannisters and bathrooms. Also, think of personal items like phones, computers and purses.
• Western Missouri Medical Center is promoting a “Team Up To Clean Up” challenge to encourage everybody to take responsibility for keeping their work space clean and prevent the spread of disease.
• Please refrain from bringing in outside cleaning supplies and chemicals. Some university faculty, staff, and students may have chemical and scent allergies. So that we can ensure everyone has a safe work environment, UCM uses approved chemicals that have low volatile organic compounds and chemical interactions.

Pay close attention to your UCM email for communications and updates from the university and from your instructor.

Individual student accommodations will be facilitated by Student Experience and Engagement (short-term absences) at 660-543-4114 and Office of Accessibility Services (ongoing accommodations) at 660-543-4421. You do not need to provide any documentation to your instructor - any necessary documentation will be requested by Student Experience and Engagement or the Office of Accessibility Services.

• The process to withdraw from classes, drop a class or request an incomplete grade follows the same process that is in place now.
• For specific questions, please contact the UCM Registrar. The Registrar’s contact information can be found here, https://www.ucmo.edu/current-students/office-of-the-registrar-and-student-records/

• International students and those looking for resources or information for international students are asked to visit the following UCM webpage for information related to maintaining valid visa status during the recent COVID-19 changes: COVID-19 Resources for International Students.
• F1 students should be in contact with their international student advisor (DSO) for guidance pertaining to their individual needs/questions: isss@ucmo.edu, 
• Sponsored and exchange student organizations have been in contact with GISS and have provided guidance. This information has been disseminated to students, and GISS staff are working to accommodate student needs.
• GISS staff have implemented extended advising hours virtually and via phone so that all students' questions and concerns are addressed.
• Several emails have already been sent out to the different international student populations from the GISS office. Additional communication will be forthcoming as this situation evolves.
• GISS is closely monitoring the location of our currently enrolled students and those on OPT outside of the local area.
• International students who need assistance with insurance questions are being referred to the Health Center and to the insurance provider based on their question.
• International students living on campus are in close contact with GISS and the Housing Office for guidance.
• NAFSA: Coronavirus Critical Resources

Your roommate should call the health center at 660-543-4770 and arrange to be evaluated. If it is determined that they are at high risk for COVID-19, arrangements will be made to evaluate and test your roommate. If you and your roommate have been living together you will also need to be evaluated.

Frequently disinfect touch points such as door knobs, light swithces, desk tops, table tops, hard surface furniture, etc. Plus, practice the following steps:

1. Hands - wash them often.
   
2. Elbows - cough into them.
3. Face - don't touch it.
   
4. Feet - stay more than 6 feet apart.
   
5. Feel sick? - Stay in.

• Facilities, Planning and Operations is sanitizing touch points of all public areas daily such as: doors, door knobs, handles, panic bars, glass doors, vending machines, light switches, electrical outlet covers, furniture, tables, chairs, elevator doors and buttons, elevator walls, floors, water fountains, kitchens, public bathrooms, laundry rooms, stairways, and handrails.
• It would be beneficial if others would assist with monitoring public spaces, clean behind use in kitchens, laundry rooms and public spaces in between daily custodial service. 

• Graduate student campus tours have been suspended until further notice.
• Undergraduate campus tours have moved to a virtual format, as most of our individual tour groups are larger than 10 people.

• All campus events associated with GISS and ISO have been cancelled for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.
• All recruitment and yield events for the spring semester have been moved to a virtual format. The Honors NSO has been cancelled and will move those students to another NSO date.

The NCAA has announced the cancellation of 2020 spring sport championships and the MIAA has indefinitely suspended play for all spring sports. All sporting events scheduled to take place at university facilities are canceled until further notice.

• All students currently studying abroad have been asked to return to the United States.
• All returning students from abroad have been asked to return to their homes and follow the CDC guidelines for social distance.
• If students are facing a hardship due to these circumstances, they are encouraged to reach out to UCM Study Abroad at 660-543-4195 or intlprog@ucmo.edu to inquire about ways that UCM can offer support.
• Follow CDC guidelines for quarantine and social distancing

• Study Abroad programs through August 2020 have been cancelled. For up-to-date details, see UCM’s COVID-19 update page, or contact the Study Abroad office at intlprog@ucmo.edu or 660-543-4195.
• Students enrolled in a faculty-led program should contact their instructor to verify the status of their upcoming trip.

• All Study Abroad programs for spring and summer 2020 have been cancelled and all students have been asked to return to the U.S.
• Short term faculty-led study tours and study abroad programs departing after May 11 have been cancelled.

United States citizens and permanent residents currently abroad are not affected by travel bans to the U.S. However, availability of flights to the U.S. may be limited.

Travelers are strongly encouraged to confirm flight details with their airlines. International students should refer to the Coronavirus travel bans by Presidential Proclamation on this website:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-nonimmigrants-certain-additional-persons-pose-risk-transmitting-2019-novel-coronavirus/

All university-sponsored travel, regardless of mode of transport, is suspended. Exceptions must be approved by the area vice president.

You should cancel all reservations and request refunds for all expenses paid that will no longer be utilized. Contact conference/event organizers for registration and deposit refunds. Contact hotels for deposit refunds. Contact the airline for airfare credit or refund.

Contact the conference/event coordinator to cancel your registration and ask for a full refund, then you should cancel all reservations and request refunds for any expenses already paid.

• No, you will not need to reimburse the university for these expenses. An attempt should be made by the traveler to request refund, transfer tickets, or otherwise minimize financial impact. All remaining expenses should be submitted using standard travel processes. If you receive a future benefit (voucher, registration for next year), please provide Accounts Payable with all documentation as that benefit is subject to special accounting procedures.
• If paid for by a grant, and you cannot receive a refund, or a credit for the travel is related to the project scope of work, contact your Program Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity. They will work with you to make necessary revisions with the funder and move any unallowable expenditures from the project budget.

• Travel and other expenses related to conferences that have been cancelled due to concerns with the Coronavirus, which were previously scheduled/paid for, will be reimbursable.
• An attempt should be made by the traveler to request refunds, transfer tickets, or otherwise minimize financial impact. All remaining expenses should be submitted using standard travel processes. Please note you will need to provide documentation that the expense is not refundable to receive reimbursement. If you receive a future benefit (voucher, registration for next year), please provide Accounts Payable with all documentation as that benefit is subject to special accounting procedures.
• If paid for on a grant, and you cannot receive a refund, a credit or the travel is related to the project scope of work, contact your Program Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity. They will work with you to make necessary revisions with the funder and move any unallowable expenditures from the project budget.

• If the expense was paid for by the university or reimbursed to you by the university, then the funds should be deposited back to the university to the FOAPAL where the expense was charged. If the money was deposited into your account or is in the form of a check with your name, you will need to write a check payable to “University of Central Missouri” and give it to your department budget manager for deposit to the university.
• If paid for on a grant, the credit will be made to the charged grant FOAP. 

• Org code 600240 – Emergency Operations, has been established to track expenses related to COVID-19 and any future EOC expenses.
• All expenses related to COVID-19 must use this Org as part of their FOAPAL when coding requisitions in Jaggaer and on Payment Requests.
• Requisitions and payment requests must include all documentation related to the expense and clearly indicate that it is related to COVID-19.
• If your Org has been charged directly for a COVID-19 expense, prepare an IDT to move the expense to Org 600240, with all documentation to support the reclassification of the expense.
• If you have non-refundable travel expenses for cancellations due to COVID-19, use an IDT to transfer those costs to Org 600240.
• Please attach all cancellation documentation in ChromeRiver and with the IDT.
• Document, Document, Document is the name of the game. More is better than not enough in reporting COVID-19 expenses.

• In particular, UCM is paying close attention to CDC and US State Department travel advisories.
• UCM Study Abroad is also in close contact with our partners abroad.

• Most students who have returned from abroad have been able to make arrangements to complete credits remotely through our partners abroad.
• If students need credits they would have otherwise gained through their cancelled study abroad programs, they should contact the UCM Study Abroad office.

All university-sponsored and hosted events through May 10 are cancelled. Please contact Meeting and Conference Services for event cancelations. Meeting and Conference Services is currently working with event coordinators/primary contacts of events.

Yes.  All university-sponsored and hosted events through May 10 are cancelled.

• Encourage the individual you are concerned about to call their medical provider. If they are a student, they can call UCM’s student health center at 660-543-4770 or their primary care provider.
• People with a fever of 100.4 with a cough or trouble breathing should stay home and isolate themselves from others and call a health provider.
• Avoid being around anyone who is coughing, distance yourself at least six feet.
• When an individual tests positive for COVID-19, the state and local health department will work together to ensure the individual who is positive gets the care they need and their contact with others is limited (i.e. isolation at home if well, hospitalized if sick), AND the health department will work with that individual to determine anyone with whom they have been in close contact. The health department will reach out to those contacts to inform them how to stay at home and monitor their symptoms. In other words, if a person is positive for COVID-19, local health officials will know about it and work to protect the person and the greater community.

• Students, staff and faculty contact HUMAN RESOURCES: UCM takes matters of discrimination and harassment very seriously. Any employees who have concerns about discrimination or harassment shoud immediately contact Ranea Taylor, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, at 660-543-4255, or email rtaylor@ucmo.edu in accordance with university policy. Anyone who has student concerns should contact Student Experience and Engagement at 660-543-4114.
• The UCM Green Dot page has helpful information as well.

• Please contact the Student Experience and Engagement Office at 660-543-4114 for assistance.
• People can fight stigma and help, not hurt, others by providing social support. Counter stigma by learning and sharing facts. Communicating the facts that viruses do not target specific racial or ethnic groups and how COVID-19 actually spreads can help stop stigma

• People in our community may be worried or anxious about friends and relatives who are living in or visiting areas where COVID-19 is spreading. Some people are worried about contracting the disease themselves. Fear and anxiety can lead to social stigma, for example, towards someone who has been in quarantine. Stigma is associated with a lack of knowledge about how COVID-19 spreads, a need to blame someone, fears about disease and death, and gossip that spreads rumors and myths.
• Lack of information can lead to enhanced fears and anxiety. Please visit the CDC website to view accurate and up-to-date information at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

COVID19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is the name that the World Health Organization (WHO) designated for a new respiratory disease caused by a novel (new, had not been previously identified) coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Disease), that emerged in China late in 2019. The virus causes respiratory disease but is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold.

Yes, the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread from person-to-person. Someone who has COVID-19 can spread the illness to others mainly through saliva via coughing or sneezing. Droplets of the virus can fall on surfaces and be touched by another human who then touches their face/nose/eyes and obtains the virus. That is why CDC recommends that COVID-19 patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer able to spread the virus.

Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Read about COVID-19 Symptoms.

• 88% have a fever
• 68% have a dry cough
• 38% have fatigue
• 33% cough up phlegm
• 19% have shortness of breath
• 15% have joint or muscle pain
• 14% have sore throat
• 14% have headache
• 11% have chills
• 5% have nausea or vomiting
• 5% have nasal congestion
• 4% have diarrhea

• Persons diagnosed with COVID-19 will already be under the care of a medical provider who tested them. If they are stable and do not need hospitalization they will be placed in medical isolation. Medical isolation entails having a separate bedroom and bathroom from others in the household, being restricted to their room and wearing a mask when someone comes to their door. They will be monitored by health care providers. Persons exhibiting distress will be hospitalized.
• Every positive test for COVID-19 is reported to county health and county health officials ensure the patient is isolated and investigates all contacts. Contacts are notified by county health and asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

• Quarantine separates people who may have possibly been exposed to a disease or who are having symptoms of possible disease, from others who are healthy. This is done to prevent the possible spread of disease. Quarantine for possible COVID-19 exposure usually lasts for 14 days.
• Isolation separates people with known disease or a positive test, from healthy people, to prevent exposure to disease.
• Social distancing means keeping a safe distance (approximately six feet) from others and avoiding gathering spaces such as schools, churches, concert halls and public transportation. Social distancing needs to be practiced by all of us at this time to decrease the rate of exposure/numbers infected. By decreasing the rate, we decrease the number of people needing hospitalization at the same time. Our hospital and healthcare systems normally work close to capacity. Seeing an expected 10% increase in people needing help will overburden the system, making it less effective and causing increased deaths.

• Current CDC guidance for when it is okay to release someone from isolation is made on a case-by-case basis and includes meeting all of the following requirements:
  • The patient is free from fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
  • The patient is no longer showing symptoms, including cough.
  • The patient has tested negative on at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart.
• Someone who has been released from isolation is not considered to pose a risk of infection to others.

• UCM encourages our students, staff, and community to refrain from travelling abroad, in accordance with the U.S. State Department and CDC travel advisories. Travelling abroad may increase the possibility of exposure. Additionally, the U.S. and other countries abroad may impose travel restrictions with little warning.
• Domestic travel is also discouraged due to the possibility of local travel restrictions, and in order to comply with CDC recommendations for social distance.