Dear Students,

Recently, occurrences of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in Korea are rapidly increasing. MERS is a severe acute respiratory disease caused by the infection of Coronavirus. Patients who have contacted MERS have mainly resided in the Arabian Peninsula of the Middle East. MERS is a new type of virus first reported in September 2012. After that, there have been a total of 1154 patients confirmed, 471 of which have died in 24 countries.

It is known that the infection occurs by direct contact with bodily fluids but many infected people in Korea were found that they didn’t contact the infected people directly which means infection by air is also available.

We live in an interconnected world in which air travel can spread contagious infections thousands of miles away within a few hours. As the PSPS is an international school, we need to take a cautionary measure to avoid the worst situation in advance.

Here are some policies that will help prevent the spread of MERS:

• Until a Government disease-control method is prepared, PSPS students are prohibited from travelling abroad.
• If international or domestic travel is inevitable, please inform the PSPS office of your plan in advance and seek permission for travel.
• Please be advised that when you leave Korea to travel to any other country, if the situation is getting worse, you may not be permitted to return to Korea.
• Please read the prevention and reporting guidance on our webpage and follow the prevention rules. In the event that you observe symptoms such as fever or heavy breathing within 14 days after traveling, you should report yourself to the PSPS office or Gyeongsan Public Health Center.
• Monitor your health for 14 days if you have travelled abroad, especially if you make a trip to or via the Middle East, or if you made a visit to the hospitals where MERS patients were being treated.
• Seek medical care immediately if you develop a fever (temperature of 100.4°F/ 38°C) and any of the following symptoms: heavy breathing, cough and other symptoms similar with a cold.
• If you feel it is necessary, see a doctor immediately.
• Until the disease is under control, the PSPS will be enforcing strict guidelines regarding travelling abroad.
• If traveling abroad is necessary, you must get permission from the PSPS Administration Office.

Experts from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control continue to reassure us that its spread can be contained with appropriate care.

This is true, but such appropriate care is not always easily attainable. We hope that this situation will improve and that we can find a solution soon.

Thank you for your cooperation in advance.

Park Seung Woo, Ph.D.

Dean

Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul

Yeungnam University