(Image via Getty)
After a New York lawyer tested positive for coronavirus, concerns over the illness caused one New York law school to close its doors and a law student at another New York law school to go into self-quarantine. Now, the mysterious virus is touching the legal community on the other side of the country in Seattle, Washington, an outbreak hotspot where there have been 70 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10 deaths.
According to The Daily, a first-year student with a suspected coronavirus diagnosis at the University of Washington School of Law has been placed in self-quarantine by a doctor. Here are some additional details:
“The student’s healthcare team reports that according to CDC guidelines, the student currently does not warrant testing,” the email [from School of Law dean Mario Barnes] reads. “As a result, we do not know with certainty whether the student has coronavirus.”
To be tested, a patient’s physician or health care provider has to order it based on guidance from local and federal health officials, according to UW Medicine. People cannot refer themselves for testing. Keith Jerome, who leads the virology division of the UW School of Medicine department of laboratory medicine, noted that people with more mild symptoms should not get tested so as to not strain the limited resources locally.
The student is receiving care and will stay out of public for the next 14 days.
Dean Barnes told students that all public areas and restrooms at the law school are being disinfected and undergoing expanded cleanings, and the university has made a recommendation that if someone is feeling sick, they should stay home, and call their doctor before showing up unannounced.
“We will make every effort to accommodate students who choose to self-isolate,” Dean Barnes wrote in his email. “Students will be treated as if they are experiencing a health issue that keeps them from attending class; no doctor’s note is needed.”
We will be closely following these latest developments. What is your law school or law firm doing to protect students and employees from coronavirus? Please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “Coronavirus Response”). Stay safe, everyone.
Law student directed to self-isolate on novel coronavirus suspicions [The Daily]
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.