Dear students,
On 9 March, another meeting of the Rector and Dean College took place, during which, in agreement with the Crisis Management Team, several key decisions have been made.

Information following the meeting of the Rector and Dean College of 09.03.2020

In relation to dynamic developments and two confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Wroclaw, on Monday, 9 March, acting Rector has convened another extraordinary meeting of the Rector and Dean College. At the invitation of prof. Piotr Ponikowski, apart from the Crisis Management Team, the meeting was also attended by students from all faculties, who presented their questions and doubts.

The College and the Crisis Management Team have urged all students to behave responsibly and stay at home when feeling unwell and experiencing fever, sore throat, rhinitis, cough or other influenza-like symptoms.

All cases of students' illnesses, information concerning suspected coronavirus risks or information concerning significant absence from individual classes should be reported to the coordinator – associate professor Beata Jankowska-Polańska, PhD.

Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry

• It was decided that student classes held in the hospital at ul. Koszarowa will be moved
• Practical classes with patients will be held as planned, and each student will be guaranteed personal protective equipment. Patients' condition will be assessed before they are registered at the clinic – this will include history taking focused on potential risks and well-being as well as temperature measurement
• Lectures will be held in the same form as until now. Situation will be analysed on an ongoing basis – e-learning options will be considered

Faculty of Medicine

• The form of classes held in the hospital at ul. Borowska will be changed from clinical classes to seminars; classes taking place in the hospital at ul. Koszarowa will be cancelled
• The Chancellor will arrange the scope and form of classes held in external facilities with hospital directors
• Clinical classes will be held as seminars

Situation is changing rapidly, so decisions will be modified depending on its development. The guidelines for foreign trips of the University staff have been amended. Starting 9 March 2020, all foreign trips of staff are suspended, regardless of destination. Furthermore, the Rector and Dean College strongly recommends to also forgo foreign trips during holiday leave.

The acting Rector has asked the students' representatives to contact and assist in getting information to other students. He also stated that constant contact is maintained with the Provincial Governor and with the National Health Fund. We are preparing for various scenarios of development.

Information following the meeting of the Rector and Dean College of 06.03.2020
Observing the development of the global epidemiological situation and following the recommendations of the Governor of the Lower Silesia Province and the Chief Sanitary Inspector, on 06.03.2020, the Rector and Dean College, having read the recommendations of the Crisis Management Team led by prof. Brygida Knysz and considered the guidelines of the director of University Clinical Hospital, Piotr Pobrotyn, PhD, in connection with epidemiological risk related to SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, has decided as follows:

1. Starting Monday, 9 March 2020, classes with patients held at the University Clinical Hospital are suspended. Students should instead hold them as seminars within the hospital. Decision concerning such classes held in external facilities will be made after consultation with directors of these hospitals and will be announced immediately.

2. Internships (students of all courses organised by the Faculty of Health Sciences) will be held at the University Clinical Hospital as planned; interns are treated as support personnel.

3. Clinical classes held at the Academic Dental Polyclinic will be held as planned and will involve working with patients, as normal. Recommendation for the Academic Dental Polyclinic: introduction of pretriage – establishing whether the patient has visited a risk area and asking about sore throat and elevated body temperature before commencing the visit.

4. All student trips (organised by the University or as part of delegation from the University), whether within or outside the country, as well as all student events (conferences, symposia, etc.) which were to take place on or after 09.03.2020 are cancelled.

5. The University's Open Day planned for 27 March 2020 is cancelled.

6. Doctoral degree conferment ceremony planned for 13 March 2020 is cancelled. Persons awarded a doctoral degree can collect their diplomas individually at the appropriate Discipline Board Office. New date for the ceremony will be announced in due course.

7. All industry conferences and events for medical professionals are cancelled, as is the participation of these persons in such events (in line with recommendations of the Chief Sanitary Inspector).

8. All other staff trips to risk areas, as defined on the websites at www.gov.pl/koronawirus and gis.gov.pl/aktualności/, are cancelled.

9. Beata Jankowska-Polańska, PhD, is appointed coordinator for monitoring of epidemiological risk related to SARS-CoV-2. Duties of the coordinator include:

· collecting data from individual students, year presidents, group presidents, senior lecturers, organizational units of the Medical University, heads of clinics and chairs

· arrangement of a pathway to reach any student or staff member

· immediate notification about risks: exposure to contact during clinical or regular classes (cases of disease diagnosed in colleagues, teachers, lecturers)

· identification of contact persons and determination of infection chain

· reporting of current status and sudden events to Team members on a daily basis

· implementation of the Team's guidelines

Guidelines prepared by the Team for the community of the Wroclaw Medical University

These far-reaching precautions stem from the awareness of the key role of medical specialists in the event of an epidemic in our country. Situation is being monitored on an ongoing basis and recommendations will be modified depending on the development of events.