Update regarding Coronavirus and the 2020 Workshop
You are probably aware of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has been much in the news recently. We wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that, in coordination with our university's office of Integrity, Safety and Compliance (ISC), we are monitoring the situation closely (/coronavirus). We wanted to share with you our understanding of the situation to date and the steps we are taking to ensure that this is a safe and successful workshop.
To date (February 28, 2020), there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Colorado. None of the attending faculty or participants are coming from the four regions (China, Iran, Italy, or South Korea) known to have recently exported the virus. In consultation with the office of ISC, we believe that the chances of contracting this illness at the workshop are low in the extreme. Nevertheless, we are taking extra precautions this year to reduce the possibility of contracting any illnesses at the workshop. We ask that attendees increase their efforts at routine behaviors that prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, such as increased hand washing, avoiding touching of eyes, nose, and mouth, and sequestering yourself from others if you are actively sick--this is good practice with or without the coronavirus situation. We will also have plenty of hand sanitizer and wipes at the workshop and ask that you use those early and often.
As we are sure you know, the situation is changing rapidly and we will continue to actively monitor for changes that could impact the health or saftey of attendees.
We look forward to seeing everyone next week. Safe and happy travels!
Matthew Keller
John Hewitt
co-hosts, 2020 Int'l Workshop on Statistical Genetic Methods for Human Complex Traits