NOTICE: Covid-19 Case in the Hampshire Community
Dear Hampshire College Community,
Hampshire College has learned that one of our employees was confirmed this morning to have Covid-19. The employee has been out of office and not working on campus since Friday, March 13, and does not work directly with students. The employee had no campus contacts that put any student or colleague at risk of exposure, and a small number of employees who may have been in direct contact with the employee in the last 14 days have been notified. The employee’s work area has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
It’s the college’s responsibility to notify our campus of a case of the disease in our community. The employee is following public health guidelines and recovering at home. Public health officials are leading the investigation into the employee’s case following standard practice.
The college will not release any identifying information about the employee out of respect for their privacy and applicable HIPAA privacy laws. We ask you to please respect their privacy—even if you believe you know who they are—so they can focus on recovering.
It’s likely Covid-19 will continue to spread in our region and further affect our college. We are providing you here with information on how to prevent, report and respond to potential cases.
Prevention
- Careful and frequent hand washing or cleaning with hand sanitizer.
- Social distancing: Staying at least six feet away from other people and avoiding crowds and large gatherings. Where possible, work remotely and avoid crowded public spaces.
- If you are sick, don’t spend time in any public spaces. Stay at home and self-isolate until all your symptoms are gone. This could be as long as 14 days.
- Carefully disinfect and clean high-touch items.
- Get an updated annual flu vaccine.
Responding to and Reporting Potential Cases of Covid-19
Patients with respiratory symptoms—sore throat, nasal congestion, fever, cough, or shortness of breath—are best triaged over the phone by medical staff. For mild to moderate symptoms, do not walk into a health office without calling first or enter any public spaces in order to limit risk of exposure to others.
If you have severe symptoms, including any difficulty breathing, call 911 for emergency response.
Students
Students who have left campus, please call your primary care provider for medical care. All students remaining in residence seeking medical care must call the Health Services office first. Contact Hampshire Health Services during normal business hours Monday–Friday 413.559.5458—this number may also be used for counseling and mental health services. After-hours medical advice is available 24/7 through UMass Triage 413.577.5229 or 413.577.5000.
Students, please contact Hampshire Health Services if you’ve been tested for Covid-19, to help us assess any impact on fellow community members.
Employees
Please contact your primary care provider(s) for medical and mental health care.
When you are not able to work for Covid-19-related circumstances affecting you or a family member, please contact Hampshire Human Resources (email jtHR@hampshire.edu) and your supervisor. Our employee assistance program, e4Health, has many benefits and supports for all employees and their immediate family members—800.828.6025.
Students and Employees
Please review more detailed guidance in the attached table based on similar protocols in place at UMass Health:
I encourage everyone to monitor your Hampshire email for continued Important Announcements (also posted here), along with our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Ed Wingenbach
President