BREAKING: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Faces First Potential Case of COVID-19

As of March 9, just days after a Special Olympics basketball event in Fremont, on Feb. 29, 2020, where a woman with COVID-19 came in contact with hundreds of participants of the event, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has confirmed that multiple students and staff members have been self-quarantined after coming in contact with the coronavirus patient.

“I can confirm that a few students and employees were among the approximately 40 individuals from the Lincoln area who have been identified by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department as having had contact during the Special Olympics event in Fremont with the first Covid 19 patient diagnosed in Nebraska,” Leslie Reed, the Public Affairs Director for the university said. “During a briefing earlier today, interim Health Department Director Patricia Lopez said those people will be under voluntary self-quarantine until March 14, which is 14 days since their exposure and all of the UNL community members are asymptomatic as far as we know and they are following the Health Department advice to voluntary self-quarantine.”

One of these students is a college of business student at the university and at around noon on March 9, the university sent out an email addressed to college of business students informing them of the situation.

“Dear College of Business students, I wanted to inform you that a member of our College of Business community participated in the Special Olympics tournament in Fremont last weekend where there was exposure to the Coronavirus, COVID-19,” Kathy Farrell, the dean of the College of Business at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said. “This person is asymptomatic; we appreciate that the student self-reported, contacted the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department after the potential exposure was announced, and is following medical advice to self-quarantine.”

Tim Timmons, a Lancaster County Health Department spokesperson said there were around 500 participants at the event, similar to those at UNL, with many more spectators in attendance.

“There is definitely potential they were exposed,” Timmons said.

The participants, primarily from Eastern Nebraska, according to Timmons, are at risk of exposure to the virus.

“There are now three individuals considered positive in Nebraska,” Timmons said. “I expect the numbers to pull up and grow.”

That very fear has caused concern on campus that classes may be cancelled in the near future to stop the spread of the virus.

As for now however, according to Reed, the Health Department has not advised any additional actions from the university, and they are going to continue with the normal class schedules and events at this time.

“If that changes, we will let you know,” Reed said.