SMU Alert: An important message regarding a COVID-19 case.

SMU Alert: COVID-19

April 2, 2020

SMU has been notified that an employee of the Dr. Bob Smith Health Center on the University campus has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was tested Tuesday, April 1, received the positive results today, April 2, and will self-isolate for the next two weeks.

The potential for contact between the affected employee and other people on campus is minimal as all teaching is occurring online and the University is operating with essential staff only. A limited number of students have physically visited the Health Center in the past 14 days, and the center’s medical director is reaching out to each of these students to inform them of what is perceived to be limited risk of exposure. The University will also contact any other employees, such as health center, custodial, and facilities staff as well as any vendors who may have been in the building during the last two weeks.

No student has tested positive for the coronavirus at the Dr. Bob Smith Health Center. Only three other health center employees worked in close proximity with the staff member who has tested positive. These three health center employees will self-monitor at their homes for the next two weeks. 

The Dr. Bob Smith Health Center is currently closed and will undergo a thorough, medical-grade disinfection over the next few days. Under advice of the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, the health center will re-open after this deep cleaning on Monday, April 6, as usual.

This notification serves as a timely warning to the SMU campus in compliance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act.)