MiraCosta College COVID-19 Updates

If you are sick, please stay home from school or work. To help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, please follow these important tips as follows:

• Get a free flu shot at a County of San Diego Public Health Center Immunization Clinic. 
• Socially distance yourself from people outside of your household.
• Wear a mask when you go outside.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick and encourage others to do the same.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Seek immediate medical care if symptoms become more severe, e.g., high fever or difficulty breathing.

An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been identified starting in Wuhan, China. Some patients have had mild illness, while others have been more severe, and some have died.

Although coronaviruses are a group of viruses that aren’t new, this is a new type of coronavirus and we are still learning about it. However, the health risk to the general public in California remains low.

Typically, human coronaviruses cause mild-to-moderate respiratory illness. Symptoms are very similar to the flu, including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

In some cases, COVID-19 can cause more severe respiratory illness.

MiraCosta College, the County of San Diego’s Public Health Services, the California Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are all carefully assessing the situation as it evolves.

For the latest information on repatriation and federal management, please see this statement from the CDC. There is also helpful information on the California Department of Public Health website.

If a person develops symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough or shortness of breath, and has reason to believe they may have been exposed, they should call their health care provider or the County of San Diego Public Health Services before seeking care. Contacting them in advance will make sure that people can get the care they need without putting others at risk. Please be sure to tell your health care provider about your travel history. You can also take the following precautionary measures: avoid contact with sick individuals, wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, and get a flu shot.

If you are having a medical emergency, please call 911. If you are feeling ill while on campus, please go to Health Services at the Oceanside Campus (Room 3326) or the San Elijo Campus (Room 922). If students are off-campus or at the Community Learning Center, and would like to speak with a nurse, please call Health Services at 760.795.6675.

Additional questions? Contact Health Services at mccshs@miracosta.edu.

• For more information on COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Intervention (CDC)
• There is also helpful information on the California Department of Public Health website
• En Español: Para obtener información en español, visite la página de el Nuevo Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)