University of Zagreb School of Medicine

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[COVID-19] Recommended procedures for the University of Zagreb for students coming from abroad

Croatian Institute of Public Health
Zagreb, 27 February 2020, at 15:00

Recommended procedures for the University of Zagreb for students coming from abroad

Specific protective measures related to nCoV disease (COVID-19)

Health checks for passengers crossing the Croatian borders are defined in order to ensure the highest possible health protection of the population and passengers with a minimal hindrance to the international traffic.

As of 24 February 2020, for students who in the last 14 days visited China, Hong Kong, Japan, Iran, Singapore, South Korea and who came to Croatia from the Italian regions Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont, the following protective measures are enforced in the duration of 14 days:

• active health surveillance (regular reporting of one’s health condition to the territorially authorized epidemiologist according to the residential address);
• self-isolation based on the decision issued by the authorized sanitary inspector at the border crossing enforcing health surveillance for the purpose of monitoring symptoms of the respiratory disease.

Furthermore, those who came to Croatia from the above-referenced countries and from the referenced Italian regions prior to 24 February and developed respiratory symptoms within 14 days, must not in any circumstances attend any classes and must immediately contact their attending family physician.

Definition of the affected area: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Iran, Singapore,  South Korea and the Italian regions Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont.

1. Active health surveillance of healthy students coming from the disease-affected areas who do not report any close contacts with diseased persons in their case history SHOULD ALWAYS BE KEPT IN SELF-ISOLATION at home or in dormitory, and they are allowed to cohabitate with other persons (e.g. they can share a room with other students).

2. Active health surveillance of healthy students (with no symptoms) coming from the disease-affected areas who have been in close contact with diseased persons SHOULD ALWAYS BE KEPT IN SELF-ISOLATION at home or in dormitory, and they are not allowed to cohabitate with other persons.

Therefore, in dormitories such students should always be kept alone in the room and should not share it with a room-mate. The dormitory should organize meals for such students in their rooms and not in the communal areas as well as ensure that they are not using other communal areas such as bathrooms. If such students do not live alone, or if it is not possible to ensure the dormitory conditions referenced above, they must be placed in an ORGANIZED QUARANTINE.

3. Students coming from the disease-affected regions and have developed some of the respiratory symptoms (sudden outburst of at least one of the following symptoms: increased body temperature, cough, shortness of breath) must be treated as infected persons until otherwise proven by microbiological testing, which requires immediate hospitalization.

Student undergoing active health surveillance methods in self-isolation (as outlined in Paragraphs 1 and 2) are not allowed to attend classes in the course of the duration of this protective measure.

Having in mind present epidemiological situation, the situation may change rapidly and these recommendations are subject to change. Therefore, you are advised to continuously follow the web sites of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (www.hzjz.hr ) and of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia, where all updates related to corona virus and preventive measures are published on a daily basis.

https://zdravstvo.gov.hr/koronavirus-i-mjere-prevencije/4952

https://www.hzjz.hr/medunarodna-istrazivanja/koronavirus-najnoviji-podatci/

https://www.hzjz.hr/sluzba-epidemiologija-zarazne-bolesti/pitanja-i-odgovori-o-novom-koronavirusu-2019-ncov/

General Preventive Measures:

In addition to the above measures, at all places where students reside (dormitories, campuses, classrooms and all other facilities) it is necessary to ensure the following:

• washing hands with soap and running water, drying hands with disposable towels, or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers;
• exemption from classes for teaching staff and students with symptoms of respiratory infection, increased body temperature, headache, shortness of breath and cough;
• regular room ventilation (at least twice a day);
• stimulate spending time outside in fresh air, whenever possible.

Students as well as the rest of the population must bear in mind to follow the precautions as follows:

• regular washing of hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers;
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and immediately throw it in a trash can and wash your hands;
• avoid close contact with people who have symptoms of respiratory infection, increased body temperature, headache, shortness of breath and cough.