According to Eisenberg, “high-risk individuals should be more careful with social distancing. It is critical that they not be around big crowds.” For lower-risk people, Eisenberg said, they “probably won’t have a major illness but they can contribute to the transmission. Even though students aren’t high- risk they would be effective in its transmission. So for example, if you’re traveling a lot you might not want to visit your 85-year-old grandma.” How can we learn from other affected countries? Eisenberg said South Korea, where strict isolation and social distancing measures were taken to prevent infection, provides an example of the path the U.S. should take in slowing the spread of the virus. “If we can prevent it from being too accelerated we can prevent widespread transmission,” Eisenberg said. “We want to look more like South Korea and less like Italy. Especially now in this critical time period, where cases are just emerging, we don’t wanna overwhelm the hospitals and really unroll widespread testing: identify the clusters faster and then it’s a bit more targeted.” Is there a time period for how long the virus will continue to spread? The answer is still unclear. “It won’t be surprising if it is seasonal like other coronaviruses, but this is a unique, emerging pathogen and we are still unsure,” Eisenberg said. Reporters Hannah Mackay and Varsha Vedapudi can be reached at mackayh@umich. edu and varshakv@umich. edu. “We’re taking every step that we can to mitigate the virus spread and keep Michiganders safe,” Whitmer said in the press conference. The two diagnosed cases in Michigan include a middle-aged Oakland County woman who has recently traveled internationally and a middle-aged Wayne County man who has recently traveled domestically. Michigan Medicine announced Wednesday morning the hospital is treating one of the two confirmed Michigan coronavirus cases. According to the University’s webpage on COVID-19, individuals should wash their hands often with soap for 20 seconds, avoid close contact with those who are sick and to stay home when sick to prevent the spread of the virus. Prior to the University’s decision to move classes online, universities across the state had already suspended in-person classes. Michigan State University suspended all face-to-face classes beginning at noon today, MSU President Samuel Stanley announced in an email to MSU students this morning. Online class instruction will last until April 20. Central Michigan University also asked students not to return to campus after spring break and announced they will be moving their classes online through March 20. CMU will make a decision on whether to continue online classes on March 19. Wayne State University announced Wednesday afternoon it will be extending spring break until March 23 to help plan for the transition to online classes. Other universities across the United States have called off in-person classes this week, including Harvard University and Ohio State University. As classes have been canceled across the country, some on social media have noted the sudden requests for students to leave campus may be harder to adjust to for students who may rely on university housing or meal plans. Additionally, they said some students may depend on work-study as a source of income. Others have noted students may not be able to go home because of transportation costs or travel restrictions, or because coronavirus may be more widespread in that location. Before the University announced the cancellation of classes, students on campus began creating a spreadsheet of resources to help students who may be disproportionately impacted by the changes. Michigan Dining sent an email to MDining employees Wednesday afternoon letting students know they plan to continue having food available. The email stated MDining is increasing their sanitation processes – including the back of the house and some spaces leading up to the dining hall. Additionally, greeters are no longer swiping M-Cards and students swipe their own. Symptoms of coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath. To stop the spread of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control recommend people wash their hands often and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth. Daily News Editor Barbara Collins can be reached at bcolli@umich.edu. Daily News Editor Claire Hao can be reached at cmhao@umich. edu. Daily News Editor Emma Stein can be reached at enstein@umich.edu. The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com News Thursday, March 12, 2020 — 3 CANCELED From Page 1 COUNCIL From Page 1A The main concern, according to Martin, is containing its rapid spread. “Most people that get this virus aren’t going to be severely ill,” Martin said. “When you’ve got a new virus that’s potentially going to affect large numbers of people, what you want to do is try to slow things down as much as possible, and a good way to do that is to stop people from congregating in big groups. The University could do a whole lot by being as flexible as possible with allowing students to recover from at home when they’re sick.” Sue Anne Bell, assistant professor at the School of Nursing and a specialist in the effects of health disasters, added that COVID-19’s effect on the young, healthy demographic is minimal while the risk for elderly populations or those with chronic diseases is much greater. “For people that have no significant health issues, young adults who are healthy in general, and also in children, there have been fairly low rates of serious complications,” Bell said. “The bigger issue is that, while a college-age student might contract the virus, it’s the spreading of the virus to other groups of people who have those chronic diseases, or an older population where they’re much more susceptible to some of those serious effects.” Sandro Cinti, professor of infectious disease at Michigan Medicine who is involved in preparations for emerging infectious diseases, commented on the misconceptions he has encountered in comparison to the reality of the virus. “I know a lot of people have visions of many people dying and being in the hospital, but very likely most people will be fine, they won’t ever have to even go to the doctor,” Cinti said. “It’s a disease that we need to pay attention to, but generally, people will do pretty well even if they get infected with it, and there are no treatments and there’s no vaccine at this time, so it’s really all about community mitigation.” Cinti explained some of the measures that Michigan Medicine is taking to prepare for COVID-19 patients and how they plan to keep other patients safe. “We’re looking at how we’re going to manage patients within the hospital, where we’re going to put patients, where we would cohort patients, putting them in certain parts of the hospital where they will be so they wouldn’t be exposed to other patients,” Cinti said. “There’s only limited testing right now. So if somebody wants to come in and get a test, they won’t be able to get it … unless they have symptoms and a very positive screen for having been exposed to Coronavirus.” With the apparent minimal threat to a young and healthy demographic and the high potential for spread to higher risk populations, University epidemiologists and health care professionals said the best courses of large scale action against COVID-19 are collective efforts to lower community’s health risks. Arnold Monto, the Thomas Francis Collegiate Professor of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health and an international expert on transmission prevention, said in similar flu outbreaks, pharmaceutical resources have been available but are lacking in the current situation. “What is really most pertinent in terms of what’s going on now is the attention on what are called non pharmaceutical interventions because the three pillars of response to a flu pandemic were antivirals, vaccines and non-pharmaceutical intervention,” Monto said. “We don’t have two of the pillars for COVID-19.” With the evident necessity for non-pharmaceutical intervention, Bell proposed taking the idea of serious social distancing within the University community as opposed to mass quarantines. “I think we have to move from this idea of these large scale quarantines to thinking about social distancing,” Bell said. “We don’t have the systems in place to just flip a switch and turn to an online class or cancel classes, but when it boils down to it, promoting and preserving the health of our community might be the more important thing to think about than missing class.” In the past week, multiple universities across the country have canceled in-person classes in response to the virus, including Harvard University and Ohio State University. Many professors at the University have said they are preparing to move classes online in the event that the administration instructs them to do so. STAMPS Professor Susan Funkenstein has already moved her ARTDES 151 class online for a period of two weeks after being asked to explore alternative lecture delivery modes. Brad Smith, associate dean for academic programs at the Stamps School of Art & Design, wrote about efforts the school was making to determine the best way to continue the semester when classes moved online in an email to The Daily. “Like the rest of the University, the Stamps School of Art & Design is taking a look at our current course offerings and evaluating alternative modes of delivery should the need arise,” Smith wrote. “As part of this exploration and at the request of our Dean, Guna Nadarajan, two Stamps lecturers, Susan Funkenstein and Melanie Manos, were asked to explore alternative modes of course delivery for the lecture component of their courses.” Smith also addressed how University administration had instructed faculty to proceed with planning in the event that in person classes are not permitted to meet. “University administration has been asking units to consider how we might deliver classes to students under conditions where students or faculty might not be able to attend in person, in order to be prepared for a range of conditions,” Smith wrote. “For students who are currently self- quarantining or ill: faculty at Stamps are ready to provide accommodations. This is being addressed on a 1-1 basis.” Students discussed varying views on COVID-19 with The Daily, specifically regarding the health risks it poses to campus and the necessity for either school closure or online classes instead of in-person meetings. LSA sophomore Ryan Fisher, secretary of the University’s chapter of College Republicans, sent an email out to the organization Sunday night dismissing concerns that coronavirus is the “end of the world.” “Also, don’t worry so much about the Coronavirus: the idea that this is the end of the world is FAKE NEWS! It’s a virus, not far removed from normal flu,” Fisher’s email reads. “Even if you get the virus, if your immune system is half-functional, then you’d likely survive regardless. Don’t fall for the HOAX of world destruction. Literally wash your hands and stay home if you’re sick. Easy.” LSA freshman Nick Schuler, spokesman for College Republicans, told The Daily the statement was referencing the panic that the media is portraying about the coronavirus. “Ryan said ‘the idea that Coronavirus is the end of the world is fake news!’ This is in reference to the hyperbolic fearmongering done by the media that has inspired nothing but panic, making matters worse,” Schuler said. “He also points out that the survival rate is very high for those with functioning immune systems, also true. We feel that the school has created a culture of fear around the virus rather than one of understanding and that the outlook for the virus is much better than the doomsday narrative being put out by alarmists.” On Tuesday, it was announced that an EECS 280 midterm exam initially scheduled for Wednesday will now be online as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. LSA freshman Hadley Samarco, who is enrolled in EECS 280, said there was a lot of backlash to this decision and gave her personal reaction to the change. “There is a lot of confusion and backlash right now, because originally you were supposed to still abide to just having a note sheet and not cheating, and there was a lot of concern as to how that’ll work,” Samarco said. “I appreciate the concern, but I think it’s more trouble than it’s worth.” LSA freshman Deanna Dwyer said she thinks the University’s emails about COVID-19 have been a good way to stay informed and that while certain professors are changing their attendance policies, she does not wish to take online classes. “I would be really upset if we have to go to online classes, just because I feel like clubs would have to stop meeting then too,” Dwyer said. “And not everyone has access to computers and this could really affect those who are not as economically stable.” In an effort to keep campus healthy for community members who are not self- isolating, the department of Environment, Health & Safety and Custodial & Grounds Services are expanding their efforts to clean heavy-trafficked areas. Danielle Sheen, executive director of EHS, explained the precautions EHS and the Custodial and Grounds Services are taking to sanitize buildings at the University in an email to The Daily.“For main campus buildings served by Custodial and Grounds Services, they have been increasing their frequency of cleaning of the high touch point surfaces,” Sheen wrote. “Dorm rooms are cleaned by students, but common areas in dorms are cleaned by Housing Custodial Staff. They ramped up their efforts for cleaning as well with the return of students from Spring Break.” Reporter Jasmin Lee can be reached at itsshlee@ umich.edu. Reporter Hannah Mackay can be reached at mackayh@umich.edu. CONCERN From Page 1 The statement said the risk is low for employees and visitors, regardless of proximity to where the patient is located or whether individuals have been in the hospital recently. The statement noted risk is considered high for those without protective equipment with prolonged exposure to someone with symptoms. Additionally, the statement noted Michigan Medicine is monitoring the “rapidly evolving” situation with state and local public health officials. Michigan Medicine has been monitoring the supply of “crucial” items such as masks, hand sanitizer and other protective equipment and has been placing orders for additional quantities, the statement said. In an email sent to Michigan Medicine volunteers Wednesday afternoon, Loulie Meynard, Volunteer Services director, advised volunteers not to come in for their scheduled shifts and all absences starting from March 8 will not be counted in volunteers’ records. While Meynard said Michigan Medicine is not saying volunteers may not come in, she noted that directive is expected to come soon. On Wednesday afternoon, University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel announced a two-day cancellation of classes. On Monday, classes will resume online until the end of the semester. Spring study abroad programs have been canceled. Michigan State University announced Wednesday morning that all in-person classes will be moved online through April 20. With the move, MSU joined schools including Harvard University, Indiana University and the University of Toledo who have altered in-person education in response to COVID-19. Managing News Editor Sayali Amin can be reached at sayalia@umich.edu. Daily News Editors Claire Hao and Alex Harring can be reached at cmhao@umich.edu and harring@umich.edu. PATIENT From Page 1 More than 20 women have brought forward sexual misconduct claims against the former provost. In 2009, an anonymous woman reported that Philbert had sexually harassed her. Thomas Komorowski, a former research associate for the University who worked in Philbert’s lab at the School of Public Health in 2003, claimed in a 2004 lawsuit he was wrongfully terminated due to an inappropriate relationship between Philbert and a female researcher. Philbert denied that Komorowski was laid off due to his relationship with the female researcher and claimed Komorowski’s grant aid had run out. The University retained an outside firm to investigate Philbert, a process that is still ongoing, according to the statement. “Once it is complete, a determination will be made whether Philbert will be subject to proceedings to remove him from his faculty role,” the statement reads. “Meanwhile, Philbert will remain on paid administrative leave from his duties as a tenured faculty member.” Philbert is now on paid administrative leave from his position as a tenured professor of toxicology in the School of Public Health. As Public Health Dean, Philbert earned $463,696 in 2016. In the statement, Schlissel said the investigation is still underway, with resources provided to those affected. “As the investigation continues, we encourage anyone with information to come forward and we encourage anyone affected by this issue to use the confidential counseling resources we have set up,” Schlissel said. As provost, Philbert was the highest-ranking University administrator after Schlissel. Philbert earned about $570,000 a year in his position, where he also acted as the top academic officer and chief budgetary officer. Susan M. Collins, former dean of the Ford School of Public Policy, was named acting provost in late January. Schlissel now plans to recommend Collins serve as interim provost at the Board of Regents meeting on March 26. Philbert was approved as provost in June 2017, assuming the office in September of that year. Before that, he served as dean of the School of Public Health. Last fall, Philbert played a role in the formation of a faculty group to consider amending the bylaws regarding the dismissal of tenured faculty. In October 2019, he met with the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs after the firing of Music, Theater & Dance professor David Daniels for allegations of sexual misconduct and discussed amendments to policies governing the removal process. “We have to be very careful and thoughtful, and quickly amend the bylaws to protect tenure and to protect our faculty and to protect society from the bad behavior that is frequently in the headlines,” Philbert said at the meeting. Managing News Editor Leah Graham can be reached at leahgra@michigandaily. com. Daily News Editors Barbara Collins and Emma Stein can be reached at bcolli@michigandaily.com and enstein@michigandaily. com. PHILBERT From Page 1 QUESTIONS From Page 2