As of Friday, Pennsylvania remains free of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus.

However, in recognition of the fact that preparation is key to minimizing the spread of disease, some of the students at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford have put together a panel discussion of faculty and local health officials. This panel will include Dr. Lauren Yaich, associate professor of biology; Dr. Denise Piechnik, associate professor of biology, and Jennifer Forney, instructor of hospitality management, among others.

The panel, organized by the Biology Honor Society as part of a Darwin Day Celebration, will take place at 12:45 p.m. today in the University Room.

Information posted to the website for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford states the following:

“At this time, we have not received any reports of suspected cases on our campus.

If you have been to Wuhan, China, or have had close contact with someone who was infected in the past 14 days and are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, please call Student Health Services or seek further evaluation from a medical provider/closest emergency room immediately.”

The informational post indicates that, while the immediate health risk for Americans remains low, proactive measures are the strategy currently implemented.

“Those infected are to remain at home and avoid contact with others. At Pitt-Bradford, we are taking the following precautions: All students visiting Student Health Services will be screened for recent international travel. Student Health Services will continue to closely monitor this situation.”

The post also notes that students are urged to contact Student Health Services with any questions or concerns that they may have.