Concerned about the coronavirus?

PCCD on preparation, prevention

Isis Piccillo and Menel Raach

March 5, 2020

As COVID-19 — more commonly known as the coronavirus — continues to spread, two new cases are now confirmed by local Alameda County health officials, including one case in Berkeley.

Peralta Community College District Chancellor Regina Stanback Stroud presented updated information regarding steps the District is taking in preparing and preventing the spread of the virus.

In a March 4 email to the Peralta community, Stanback Stroud emphasized two of the recommendations made by Peralta medical affiliate partners: avoid shaking hands and touching your face with unwashed hands, and stay home and contact your healthcare provider if you are feeling sick.

Paul Feist, Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications at the California Community College State Chancellor’s office, said that individuals without health insurance should contact their county’s public health agency to report symptoms. The Peralta Community College District is part of Alameda County.

Image of coronavirus COVID-19 under a microscope — Graphic by Menel Raach

According to Stanback Stroud, campus health centers are not equipped to test for or treat cases of the coronavirus, but staff can assess, offer advice, and provide referrals. Health Navigators are available on campuses to provide assistance on insurance.

Feist said a banner at the top of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office website directs viewers to guidance from the California Department of Public Health.

Feist said that although there are no confirmed cases of the virus at any of the California community college districts, a student from the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento may have been exposed in their capacity as a healthcare worker. The student is currently in voluntary isolation.

According to the email from Stanback Stroud, if the virus continues to spread locally, there’s a possibility campuses will close. School districts will coordinate with county public health divisions to make those decisions, Feist said.

Berkeley City College Wellness Center

https://www.berkeleycitycollege.edu/wp/wellness-center/
College Nurse: (510) 981-2996

College of Alameda Health & Wellness Services

https://alameda.peralta.edu/student-service/health-services/
Main contact number: (510) 748-2320

Laney College Wellness Center

https://laney.edu/health_center/
College Nurse: (510) 464-3516

Merritt College Health Services Center

https://www.merritt.edu/wp/health/
Main Contact Number: (510) 436-2533

Please visit https://web.peralta.edu/health-services/coronavirus/ to read recommendations from the Peralta Health Services team including Noha Aboelata, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Roots Clinic and Aisha Mays, MD, Peralta Physician for the Health Clinics, and Dr. Mia Kelly, Director of Health Services at PCCD. Their recommendations consolidate the latest information from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as Alameda County Department of Public Health.

About the Contributors

Isis Piccillo, Editor in Chief

Editor-in-Chief Isis Piccillo was born and raised in the Bay Area. An avid reader and lover of libraries, Piccillo knows reading has been key to developing their writing voice. They are invested in covering and amplifying the voices of marginalized and underrepresented groups, especially in the areas of health and science. When not frantically copyediting or furiously writing, Isis can be found on the soccer field, or with food.

Menel Raach, Menel Raach

Transitioning from your birth country to a foreign land can be a journey of its own and at times challenging. Menel Raach, was born and raised in Tunisia, a poor country ruled under dictatorship. During her last year in high school, the revolutionary war began in Tunisia, talking about human rights or politics had been forbidden, and the economic system wasn’t strong at the time. Despite living in such difficult situations, Raach considered herself fortunate and privileged to have lived in a good neighborhood and obtain an education. Her beliefs and values are simple, yet passionate as she states, “I don’t like injustice. I don’t care about politics, but I care about justice”. Raach had decided to pursue her career in journalism, thanks to her curiosity and being socially active, then later she pursued her true interest by earning her master’s in film making. With all her achievements in Tunisia, Menel was living her best life, yet knew she had more to pursue, deciding to leave Tunisia and come to California in order to strengthen her English and obtain a further education.

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