Students need to take precaution this spring break

Michael McShane
News Editor

For students, and faculty, traveling out of town, out of state and especially out of the country, you should take special care to make sure you are doing everything in your power to not contract the Coronavirus.

The Coronavirus has been spreading like wildfire and every doctor and health specialist has been telling everyone that the best way to protect yourself is to be as hygienic as possible.

That means – washing your hands, staying home from work or school when showing flu-like symptoms and staying away from people who do show signs.

Minnesota has had a few close calls with the Coronavirus, all the reports in the past have been false alarms, but now that the U.S. is getting more and more cases, it is becoming more imperative that we as a campus keep it that way.

I am personally split on the University canceling all international trips for campus purposes, but I understand why with the current reports of Coronavirus cases growing each week.

While it has disappointed many students who had put time and money into these trips, having students healthy and out of potential inability of coming back from those countries due to airport closures in a worst-case scenario type of event is something we should expect to happen in this situation.

What we can’t expect is where the Coronavirus will pop up next, as people with the virus don’t know they have it until they’ve spread it to multiple different people. That is where personal hygiene becomes your best weapon against the virus.

If you are leaving for spring break, take extra care in yourself especially in airports. Airports are a breeding ground for viruses like Coronavirus. It’s not a guarantee that you’re getting it simply from being in the airport, but you should be alert, aware and take special care when you’re getting to and back from your destination.

You may be the most hygienic person you know, but that doesn’t mean the people around you are hygienic, always assume everything around you are potentially infectious.

Wash your hands when touching things other people have touched previously, stay away from people coughing in excess.

If we are smart with this, we can get through this pandemic. For you students going on vacation for Spring Break, good luck out there, have the fun you deserve after a tough first half of the semester, and most importantly stay safe.

Header photo courtesy of Flickr.