Coronavirus Updates

• The German University in Cairo, which hosted first year GIU students for the academic year 2019 – 2020, organized awareness symposia on the Corona virus for faculty, students, and staff, attended by GUC clinic as well as members of the GUC Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology & specialized doctors from the preventive medicine sector in the ministry of health about how to identify this illness and the necessary precautionary measures to avoid infection. The clinic welcomed all queries in this regard. Note: GIU New Administrative Capital is NOW OPEN!
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• GUC Media Production Center prepared two informative videos that were displayed on screens all over campus to spread awareness about the Coronavirus, its transmission and the best means to avoid infection. The videos were shared on both GUC and GIU Social Media Platforms to reach out to all audiences, inclusive of the wider Egyptian and international communities. Video 1
Video 2

• All staff members’ temperatures were checked upon entrance of campus.

• Offices were disinfected on daily basis upon completing the working hours

• Disinfecting all surfaces like desktops, doorknobs, toilette seats, window handles, hand rails, lifts etc. many times a day by our housekeeping personnel.

• Supplying bathrooms with high disinfecting liquid soap for hand washing and personal hygiene instead of the products that has been used to date.

• Cleaning bathrooms floors and surfaces with powerful disinfecting materials to kill germs.

• Supplying all the bathrooms and buildings and corridors with hand sanitizers.

• Preparedness has also included well trained doctors in the GUC clinic as well as an ambulance car.

• Limiting the number of visitors to GUC campus.

• All windows in classes and lecture halls are supplied since 2009 with a mechanism of tilt window to enhance ventilation.

• Improving airflow in busses and giving instructions to all bus drivers to keep a window open during the trips.

• Changing of all air condition filters on a regular basis.

• Checkup for all hostel students took place and was continued on regular basis.

• Providing free masks and gloves upon request.

• Taking the necessary actions to improve the circulation and ventilation inside the buildings at cafeteria and places of gathering.

• Holding regular meetings between our safety committee from the Faculty of Pharmacy, GUC clinic and the Head of the “Preventive medicine” of New Cairo City medical sector to be update with the latest status of the spread of the virus and new measures on how to professionally respond to this.

• Distributing informative and instructive materials in GUC campus and along with informative emails.

• On the 15th of March 2020, all teaching activities were suspended (to date).

• GIU Online Learning Platform: through 30 digital channels, we provide a secure platform for online streaming of lectures and tutorials with no threat of identity theft or cyber hacking unlike open access applications (such as reported with ZOOM App)

• GIU Video On Demand: lectures are stored on our database to be viewed in demand by students whenever they wish to review the study material thoroughly and at ease

• GIU Interactive Platform: interactive meetings are possible to facilitate lecturer-students’ live communication and simulate in class discussions and interaction

• GIU Online Examinations ensure maximum fairness through live camera monitoring and laptop random screen recording

• GIU Online Library Resources provide variety and easy access to all study material

• GIU Online Learning Assessment Committee set the following improvement Parameters:

• Online videos recorded during the last period were assessed using qualitative and quantitative measures

• Based on this assessment, recommendations were put to enhance online teaching, online examinations and online learning

• Recommendations were given to HR to assess current training needs for existing staff to master online teaching and assessment, in addition to put new additional hiring parameters for new hires

• Training for existing staff is now in act based on assessments made of pervious recordings and recommendations made by students

• Planning for GIU Phase II of online learning for summer 2020 (to be announced soon)

• Blended Teaching Schedule for W20 – S21 following the below guidelines:

• Blend online and on campus teaching, so students are required to attend only 2-3 days physically on campus

• Less numbers of students in lectures and tutorials to follow new social distancing guidelines through decreasing class capacity

• Operation at the GIU functioned using rotation attendance schedules for staff and academics starting 25th of March 2020 (to date) to reduce the number of persons on campus.

• Students’ and personnel services were provided alternatively through online channels to avoid unnecessary physical interaction.

• Any staff member who has returned from a high risk country, as defined by the CDC, was requested to remain at home for two weeks and notify the GUC Clinic.

• All business trips for our staff and academics were suspended

• All planned events and conferences to be held on campus were cancelled.

• All requests to attend local events and invitations for groups’ activities, outside GUC campus were suspended.

• In general everyone plays a key role in protecting him/ herself, our families at home, as well as limiting the negative impact of the outbreak on the individual, corporate, community, and nationwide levels.

• That is why the GIU sees the necessity of your cooperation to lower the risk of catching or spreading of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the work environment by practicing good health habits and taking all precautionary measures.
 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads from person to person mainly from the droplets spreading out through the coughing or sneezing of a sick person. Coronavirus may also be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with the virus and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses:

• Measure your body temperature daily. If your temperature is higher than 37.8 ° C, you are advised to stay home and contact a health professional.

• If symptoms sustain, you can do the Coronavirus test (now available in numerous drive through stations, which can be booked online).

• Persons who are infected should stay home and stay away from other people (self-quarantine) or get referred to a specialized hospital to continue treatment according to the severity of their symptoms.

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds with high disinfecting soap (especially when coming home) and refrain from touching your eyes and mouth or people around you.

• Cough and sneeze into a tissue or into the inside of your elbow.

• Refrain from greeting persons (especially persons who show signs of sickness) by handshaking or hugging.

• Stay at least one meter away from people whether at work, in public transportation, at restaurants, clubs, etc. (social distancing measures).

• Minimize your stay at closed areas such as shopping malls, movie theaters, or other places where there are large groups of people.

• Use disinfectants to frequently cleanse surfaces, personal items, grocery, etc.

• Avoid unnecessary stress, anxiety and over obsession about getting infected as this in itself reduces your immunity.

• Boost your immune system by eating healthy food, taking vitamin C regularly and sleeping at least 6 hours per day.
 

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) symptoms of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are similar to the symptoms of the seasonal flu in humans and may include some combination of the following among others:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Dry Cough
• Difficulty of breathing
• Stuffy nose
• Chills or rigors
• Body aches and/or Headache
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea

For more information kindly check:

https://www.care.gov.eg/EgyptCare/index.aspx

http://www.who.int

https://www.who.int/countries/egy/en/

https://www.coronatracker.com/country/egypt/

Hotline of the Egyptian Ministry of Health: 105 or 15335

WhatsApp of the Egyptian Ministry of Health: 01155508688 or 01155508851