Kellogg Reports A Confirmed Case Of COVID-19

Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management Global Hub

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Global Hub Photo by
Jonathan Gibby

Northwestern University today (March 13) announced that a Kellogg School of Management staffer tested positive for the COVID-19 disease.

It was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 at Northwestern and the first at any prominent business school in the U.S. 

In Europe, thus far, three students at IE Business School in Madrid and one student at IESE Business School on its Madrid campus have tested positive for COVID-19. Two days ago, IESE said the student was a participant in the school’s PADE program in Madrid who was infected. “The participant has mild symptoms and is recovering at home, and last visited IESE’s campus on March 9,” according to an IESE statement. “All of the participant’s classmates and others who have had close contact with her have been informed and are in quarantine.”

KELLOGG REACHING OUT TO STUDENTS, FACULTY & STAFF WHO MAY HAVE HAD DIRECT CONTACT

The Kellogg staff member at the school’s new Global Hub is “self-isolating off campus,” according to Craig Johnson, the university’s senior vice president for business and finance, in an email to the community.

Johnson says the school is reaching out to students, faculty and staff who may have had direct contact with the employee. “Those individuals are being asked to self-isolate according to University and CDC protocols for COVID-19,” wrote Johnson.

Northwestern recently announced the extension of Spring Break and the move to remote classes. The school also said that effective immediately it was halting all group gatherings of 50 people or more that occur in small spaces that do not allow for appropriate social distancing. The University said it would also suspend access to all of its recreational facilities starting this evening.

“We understand that this announcement will cause concern, particularly with final exams about to begin,” added Johnson. “As the University said in a message earlier today, students are not required to attend in-person exams. Faculty and students will receive more information about the options for completing their Winter Quarter exams.”

Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business also is dealing with the fallout over students’ possible exposure to the disease.  On February 28, Tuck students attended an invitation-only event that was also attended by an employee of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center who had been exposed to coronavirus during a recent trip to Italy. That employee, who reportedly broke quarantine to attend the event, was diagnosed with the virus himself on Monday (March 2).

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