[Special Feature: The COVID-19 Crisis and the University] The Role of the Health Center in Protecting Students, Faculty, and Staff / Tomoyasu Nishimura

2020/08/06

Image: Health Center (Yagami)

The Keio University Health Center is a department responsible for the health management of the university's students, faculty, and staff, and is also a Research Centers and Institutes that conducts medical sciences research for the maintenance and promotion of health.

Schools are places where students, faculty, and staff live in groups, and when infectious diseases occur, they are prone to spreading. Furthermore, hospitals are places used by many elderly people and patients with weakened immune systems, and when infectious diseases occur, they are prone to spreading and becoming severe. Since Keio University is an educational institution and also has a university hospital, infectious disease measures for students, faculty, and staff are vital. Since January 2020, when the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began to spread primarily in Wuhan, China, the Health Center has been taking COVID-19 measures for the university in consultation with the Keio University COVID-19 Task Force and the University Hospital COVID-19 Task Force.

Under the basic policy of preventing cluster infections of COVID-19 within campuses and the hospital, the Health Center is implementing stricter restrictions on attending school and work for students, faculty, and staff, as well as identifying and providing health consultations for close contacts and symptomatic individuals. As a rule for school and work restrictions, not only COVID-19 patients but also students, faculty, and staff at high risk of infection (such as close contacts) and symptomatic individuals for whom the possibility of COVID-19 cannot be ruled out are prohibited from attending school or work. Furthermore, students, faculty, and staff falling into these categories are asked to report to the Health Center, which conducts health status checks and health consultations until they are in a condition to return to school or work.

Due to the spread of COVID-19 in Japan, the university temporarily suspended educational and research activities at campus facilities, but based on the infection situation, educational and research activities at campus facilities were resumed in stages starting June 8. Prior to the resumption, an educational video explaining the behaviors required to prevent COVID-19 infection was created and made available for students, faculty, and staff to watch, in an effort to ensure thorough infection prevention.

In Tokyo, more than 100 new cases have been reported almost every day since the beginning of July, and the COVID-19 epidemic is still recognized. Even under such circumstances, the Health Center will continue to take COVID-19 measures for the university's students, faculty, and staff so that they can proceed with educational and research activities and so that the medical functions of the university hospital can be maintained.