On Sunday, a Cornell student presented symptoms that met criteria for testing for the 2019 novel coronavirus, Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi wrote in an email to the Cornell community.
Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the only organization able to test for the novel coronavirus in the country, the results of the student’s laboratory tests may take up to a full week to be processed and revealed. Lombardi also assured that the student is in isolation and is receiving ongoing care. There are currently no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in New York.
As Cornellians, we all reside in somewhat of a bubble. Perched on this hill, we interact with our peers nearly-constantly. It is only natural that students might be concerned for their health at a moment like this.
However, our fear is no reason for us to treat our fellow students with anything less than the utmost respect. There is no excuse for us to be anything less than the empathetic community that we can be. Remember that many students on this campus are being directly affected by this novel coronavirus: their friends, family, neighborhoods and homes are being changed forever.
Let us be kind to one another in this difficult time. Take care of yourself, each other, our Cornellian family and the greater Ithaca community.
The above editorial reflects the opinions of The Cornell Daily Sun. Editorials are penned collaboratively between the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor and Opinion Editor, in consultation with additional Sun editors and staffers. The Sun’s editorials are independent of its news coverage, other columnists and advertisers.