Update from College Secretary and Director, College Health Service to staff and students
27 January 2020
Dear Students/Colleagues
As you will be aware, there is currently an outbreak of Novel Coronavirus disease in China. There have been no cases in Ireland to date. For the benefit of our Chinese students, there is a translation of this communication into Chinese at the end of this email. [为方便中国学生阅读，邮件后将会有全文翻译]
Trinity has set up a College working group to monitor the situation regarding a potential outbreak of Novel Coronavirus in Ireland.
Chinese authorities have identified a cluster of Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV infections in Wuhan City, China. Cases with travel history to Wuhan have been detected in other areas of China, such as Beijing and Guangdong. Thailand, Japan, South Korea, France and the United States have also reported cases. Further global spread is likely.
Common signs of infection include:
- respiratory symptoms i.e. cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties,
- fever,
- in more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include:
- regular hand washing,
- covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing,
- avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as cough or sneezing,
- avoiding visiting wet or live markets and contact with animals, excretions and droppings,
- thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.
If you have returned from the high-risk areas of China mentioned above, and you are exhibiting the symptoms above, please contact the College Health Service by telephone on 01 8968555 or your own GP.
The HSE will take the lead in any case of infection.
The HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre has devised guidelines for the public which we would encourage you to read at https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/
The HPSC web site has a Frequently Asked Questions section, developed by the World Health Organisation: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued guidance on travel to China: https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/china/
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises that anyone considering travelling to China who is ill with a fever or respiratory symptoms may well be significantly delayed. In the circumstances the advice on the Department of Foreign Affairs website for those who might be ill with a fever is not to travel:
“The risk of delay and travel disruption is particularly heightened if the person travelling exhibits symptoms of fever, respiratory illness, and coughing, and the Embassy would advise against travel to or within China in this instance at this time.”
Trinity Insurance (Insurance@tcd.ie) advises that anyone considering travel to China must heed the advice by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Trinity Insurance must be alerted to specific travel plans of staff and students to China particularly to regions near the affected area. Anyone travelling to China must register with the college insurance and this must be accompanied by a Travel Risk Assessment, completed by the person or group travelling.
Any queries from media sources should be directed to Ciara O’Shea in Public Affairs and Communications: coshea9@tcd.ie/communications@tcd.ie.
Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
Kind regards
John Coman, Secretary to the College
Dr David McGrath, Director, College Health Service
亲爱的同学们，老师们：
如您所知，中国目前正在爆发新型冠状病毒。迄今为止，爱尔兰还没有发现任何病例。
圣三一大学已经成立了一个大学工作小组以监控在爱尔兰可能爆发新型冠状病毒的情况。
中国有关部门在武汉市发现了一系列新型冠状病毒2019-nCoV感染，并在中国其他地区监测到有武汉旅行史的病例，例如北京以及广东省。泰国、日本、韩国、法国以及美国都出现了确诊病患。病毒很有可能进一步在全球扩散。
感染的普遍症状包括：
- 呼吸道感染，例如咳嗽，气促以及呼吸困难，
- 发烧，
- 更严重的病例中，感染将会导致肺炎、严重急性呼吸系统综合症、肾衰竭甚至死亡。
预防感染扩散的标准建议包括：
- 常洗手，
- 咳嗽或者打喷嚏的时候掩住口鼻，
- 避免与任何出现呼吸系统疾病症状（例如咳嗽或打喷嚏）的人密切接触，
- 避免到访潮湿或有活物的市场，并避免接触动物、排泄物和粪便，
- 彻底煮熟肉和鸡蛋。
如您从上述中国高危地区返回，以及表现出了上述症状，请拨打电话01 8968555联系学校卫生部门或您自己的家庭医生。
爱尔兰卫生服务部（HSE）将会领导处理疫情问题
HSE健康保护监督中心（HPSC）为公众制定了指导方针，我推荐您通过该网站阅读 https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/
HPSC的网页上还提供了由世界卫生组织创建的常见问题解答： https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
外交贸易部门发布了去中国旅行的指导： https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/china/
外交与贸易部门建议，任何有发烧或呼吸道不适症状并且打算前往中国的旅客的行程将很大程度上被延迟。在此种情形下，外交部网站建议可能发烧的旅客不要出行：
如在旅途中出现发烧、呼吸道不适以及咳嗽等症状，延误或中断行程的风险相当高。并且大使馆此时建议不要前往中国或在中国境内旅行。”
任何来自媒体的采访要求应联系公共事务部门的Ciara O’Shea。[mailto:COSHEA9@tcd.ie / mailto:communications@tcd.ie]
随着情况发展，我们将提供进一步更新。
祝好，
John Coman, 校长助理
Dr David McGrath, 校园卫生服务主管