With the recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the University is taking precautions to ensure the safety of its students and staff.

SARS has been diagnosed in several parts of the world including China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. At this point, Bowling Green has not requested that its students studying in northern China return home, but has given them the option to do so.

The University has also released several recommended precautions for its faculty, staff, and students, in the form of an e-mail, in order to safeguard their health and safety.

They have recommended that members of the campus cancel or postpone personal or scholastic travel plans to all infected areas.

All University sponsored groups that had plans to visit any of the infected areas between now and May 15 seen their trips postponed. Programs scheduled in the affected countries after the 15th may also be canceled depending on future developments, according to an e-mail sent to students.

Students who will be affected academically by the restricted travel will have other options to fulfill needed requirements. The Center for International Programs will work with these students to make accommodations for them.

The University expressed concern in the e-mail about visitors from Asia and Toronto for year-end activities, including graduation. They have recommended that if students have visitors from these areas coming to Bowling Green, that students ask their visitors to reconsider their plans. As an alternative, videotapes of commencement ceremonies will be available for those who need to cancel their travel plans.

As of now, all SARS patients in the United States have contracted the illness through exposure from foreign travel or close contact, such as healthcare workers or those living in the same household.

In the United States, casual contact with infected patients at universities or other public gatherings has not resulted in reported transmission.

“For those living in Ohio, they do not need to be concerned if they come in contact with someone who has visited a country where SARS has been reported in the past ten days,” Joshua Kaplan, director of Student Health Services, said.

Five possible cases of SARS have been reported in Ohio, but there is no confirmation that it has been found in the state. Globally many countries including the United States are making efforts to stop the spread of the illness. Some precautions include mandatory screening of incoming passengers at airports, and SARS-like symptoms are being quarantined, usually for seven to ten days, until it is clear that they do not have SARS.

The University has launched a committee that will continue to track the developments concerning SARS.

“My office continues to monitor the situation relative to the education abroad programs,” community member Sally Raymont said. “I encourage everyone to refer to www.cdc.gov before making decisions about traveling to any of the countries that are affected by SARS.”