A Binghamton University community member has been diagnosed with a confirmed case of the coronavirus (COVID-19), President Harvey Stenger announced in a B-Line email on Monday.
The University was notified of the case by Broome County Health Department officials, who are working with the individual to provide care. The individual lives off campus and has been in isolation, according to Stenger.
On Monday, University officials declined to comment on whether the community member is a student, faculty member or staff member. In his email, Stenger wrote that the Broome County Health Department will continue working to identify people who have been in recent contact with the individual. Because of medical privacy concerns, he urged the University community to avoid revealing personal information about the patient.
“If you are aware of their identity, please do the right thing by respecting their privacy so they can focus on healing,” Stenger wrote. “[BU] will do everything in our power to support any individuals found to be positive for the virus through this difficult time.”
He also wrote that the confirmed case was “not unexpected,” and told students, faculty and staff to continue practicing social distancing.
“With more frequent testing and the rise of this virus, we knew sooner or later that a case would appear within our campus community,” he wrote. “What we can do now — as a campus — is adhere to the practice of social distancing. Every member of this community must help to flatten the curve.”