Today, the College was alerted that an individual working in the SMWC Health Center, operated by Union Hospital, has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Although this individual is not an employee of the College, they do have a connection to our community.
The College has not been officially notified of this result from the Vigo County Health Department, however learned of this from the individual’s self-disclosure and from the media after they went public to share their experiences and to encourage others to follow directives related to the pandemic.
This individual was last at work on the morning of Monday, March 16. Upon arrival, the individual presented with a fever and was immediately sent home. After consulting with their health care provider and the local health department, the individual began a 14-day self-quarantine. Furthermore, this individual did not come into contact with patients or other campus community members. The College immediately closed the clinic and followed CDC protocols which included cleaning of the facility.
Please join us in keeping this individual in our thoughts and prayers and in wishing them well for a full recovery.
It’s important to reinforce that, per healthcare guidelines, we have a responsibility to maintain the privacy of this individual. Thank you in advance for helping us honor our obligation to maintaining this privacy while fulfilling our commitment to keep the campus community informed.
We knew that it was likely only a matter of time before our campus community would be more directly affected by COVID-19, which is why we’ve taken these steps over the past several days and weeks to prioritize the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff, as well as the broader community. Going forward, we will make updates about future cases if needed directly to the College’s website.
We encourage everyone in our campus community to continue caring for each other during these trying times.
SMWC Events 2020 and COVID-19
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 outbreak. While the College remains hopeful that Commencement, Ring Day and Reunion activities will continue, we are following the guidance of our federal, state and local governments. We will have more information in the coming weeks and all updates will be shared as soon as we are able. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented time with your health and safety in mind.