DECISION RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS INFECTION

24^th February, 2020

DECISION OF THE ADMINISTRATION BOARD CONCERNING THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS INFECTION

Following the epidemiological situation created by the spread of coronavirus cases, the Administration Board of ”George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology from Târgu Mureș decides the following:

1. Students and teachers who have returned in Romania in the last 14 days after a trip in the areas mentioned below (Point B - Suspicious case) should stay isolated at home in the next 2 weeks (14 days), avoiding contact with other persons.

2. In this situation, all students’ absences will be motivated, without obligation to recover lectures or practical activities.

3. The information regarding the attitude towards the suspected infection will be processed at the level of each educational or administrative structure/department, and become mandatory for each student and every employee of the University.

A) Case definitions for COVID-19

Coronaviruses are widespread in nature, producing respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders in humans, some very serious, and others mild or even non-clinically expressed. In humans, they have a high affinity for macrophages, respiratory and enteric epithelia, producing over 1/3 ofrhino-pharyngitis and other respiratory pathologies (especially in autumn and winter), gastroenteritis and a particular form of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

2019-nCoV is a new coronavirus strain that has not been identified in humans so far.

B) SUSPECT CASE

Patient with acute respiratory infection -sudden onsetof at least one of the following:cough, fever,sore throat, breathing difficulty (increased respiratory rate), which requires or not hospitalization.

In the last 14 days (prior to the onset of symptoms), the person met at least one of the following epidemiological criteria:

• close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19

• travel history in areas with extended community transmission
    - Mainland China
    - Lombardy - Italy
    - Veneto Region - Italy

Location from Piedmont Region: Cumiana

Locations from Lombardy and Veneto:

Persons who came from Mainland China or from one of the 12 localities from Italy should be quarantined for 14 days, in spaces specially intended for this purpose, immediately after returning to Romania.

Persons who came from other locations from Lombardy or Veneto Region, should start a self-isolation at home, for 14 days, immediately after returning to Romania.

The CLOSE CONTACT is defined as:

• a person living in the same household with a patient with COVID-19;

• a person who had direct physical contact with a case of COVID-19 (e.g. shaking hands un-followed by hand hygiene);

• a person who had unprotected direct contact with the infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., during coughing, touching handkerchiefs with unprotected glove hand);

• a person who had face-to-face contact with a COVID-19 case , at a smaller distance than 2 m, and for a longer duration than 15 minutes;

• a person who was in the same room with a COVID-19 case, for a minimum time of 15 minutes, and at a distance of less than 2 m ;

• a person from the health-care staff, or another person who offered direct care to a patient with COVID-19; a person from the laboratory staff who handled samples collected from a patient with COVID-19, without the correct wearing of the protective equipment;

• a person who had contact in the plane with a COVID-19 case, and who traveled in one of the 2 rows in any direction from the case ; persons who traveled with the case or who provided care in the plane. If the severity of the symptoms or the movement of the case in the plane indicates a greater exposure, all the passengers in the area of ​​the plane, or even all the passengers in the plane will be considered close contacts.

• a person who lived in a geographical area with extensive community transmission

C) PROBABLE CASE

A suspected case for which the result of the laboratory SARS test is inconclusive, or in which the result was positive for a pan-coronavirus test.

D) CONFIRMED CASE

A person confirmed by the laboratory test with 2019-nCoV infection, regardless of clinical signs and symptoms.

In the last 14 days (prior to the onset of symptoms), the person met at least one of the following epidemiological criteria:

• the person had close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19

OR

• the person had travel history in areas with extensive community transmission.

E) STANDARD MEASURES FOR PRECAUTION include:

• Avoid to visit crowded closed spaces (e.g. supermarkets, malls);

• Maintain a distance of at least 1 meter from any person with respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, sneezing);

• Wash frequently your hands using soap and water when the hands are visibly dirty, or antiseptic based on alcohol if the hands are not visibly dirty;

• Use the technique of coughing or sneezing inside the cubital area, or covering the nose and mouth during coughing and sneezing with a disposable napkin, followed by throwing it after use, and IMMEDIATELY wash your hands with water and soap;

• Avoid touching the mouth, nose and eyes;

• Respect all rules on how to wear and remove the masks, associated with proper hand hygiene after removal.

• The patient suspected of 2019-nCoV infection must wear a mask !!!

Wearing the mask is one of the preventive and limiting measures for spreading of certain respiratory diseases, including that one caused by the new coronavirus. However, using only a mask is not sufficient to ensure an adequate level of protection, so other equally relevant measures should be also taken. The use of the mask should be combined with the proper hand hygiene, and with other measures in order to prevent and control the transmission of the new coronavirus from human to human.

ADMINISTRATION BOARD