An IU student who has not been on campus or in the U.S. in 2020 has tested positive for COVID-19, IU announced Friday.
The student will remain in isolation in their home country and will continue to receive care there. They will not return to Indiana or IU while being treated, IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said.
The student has not been on the IU campus or in the United States in the 2020 calendar year, according to the release.
The student, who is in the Kelley School of Business, contracted the disease while on a flight between two CDC level three advisory countries, one being their home country, when returning from a study abroad program, Carney said. One other person on the flight tested positive, but no other IU students have.
“The student’s academic situation moving forward is still being worked out,” Carney said, “but obviously we will be making accommodations for the circumstances.”
Carney said the IU Office of Environmental Health and Safety will conduct contact tracing, which is the process of identifying, assessing and managing people who have been in contact with the illness in order to prevent further transmission.
The best ways to prevent the spread of the virus are to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when you are sick, according to the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention website. The CDC also recommends wiping down frequently touched surfaces with cleaning sprays or wipes.
The CDC has level three travel restrictions to China, Iran, Italy and South Korea and a level two restriction to Japan. On Thursday, IU announced the cancellation of all international university-sponsored spring break programs.
