West Virginia University and Marshall University have both decided to extend spring break and suspend in-person classes to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Other colleges in the state may follow suit.
These decisions immediately prompt hundreds of questions, the first being, “Is this an overreaction?” After all, as of this writing, West Virginia has no confirmed cases of the virus, so if no one is sick, why take such drastic steps?
Notably, if the universities had strongly suspected a month ago that the virus was going to be designated by the World Health Organization as a pandemic because of its alarming spread, they could have canceled spring break.
It would be far easier to keep the virus out or contain the spread if people just stay in one place. However, by the time WVU officials decided the threat was greater than they first feared, it was too late to call off spring break.
WVU and Marshall are clearly acting on medical advice. Spring break means thousands of students are going to disperse to surrounding states, across the country and maybe overseas, increasing their chances of getting infected and bringing the contagious virus back to a crowded campus.
That increases the chances of “community spread,” where the virus would be circulating in a new area that did not previously have the disease. Ruby Memorial Hospital already operates at about 98 percent capacity, so how would the healthcare system handle an influx of coronavirus patients?
Just a few days ago I opined about some of the overwrought national coverage of the virus, and now here I am laying out worst case scenarios. That’s because some of the state’s top health officials have changed their tune.
WVU Vice President and Executive Dean for Health Sciences, Dr. Clay Marsh, has gone from advising people to wash their hands more often to encouraging the University’s more drastic measures.
“We are trying to reduce the spread on people that repatriate from spring break who might go elsewhere and become exposed,” Marsh said on Talkline Wednesday. Marsh cited what happened in Italy. The country is now virtually shut down, with more than 10,000 confirmed infections.
WVU, Marshall and other colleges that postpone in-person classes are in a tough spot. If no cases or very few cases of the virus turn up, some will say the schools overreacted. But that could also mean their preventive measures worked. Also, if there is an outbreak of COVID-19, the schools will be criticized for not doing enough.
The America Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics gives specific guidelines for doctors to provide preventive care for their patients. The best medicine is keeping the patient from getting sick in the first place.
With that in mind, it’s understandable why WVU and Marshall would err on the side of caution.