Dear University of Arizona Administration,

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has now spread to over 100,000 people globally and there are several hundred cases in the Western United States alone. In addition to this, there is evidence of community spread within the state of Arizona with the newest case confirmed in Pima County.

Although the number of those infected within the state of Arizona is limited, the University of Arizona should strongly consider suspending all in person classes as U of A is a global university with approximately 40 percent of students permanently residing out of state. This novel virus knows no border, and moreover many U of A students have travelled to and will be returning from areas with high rates of infection after the spring break.

Columbia University has moved all of its instruction online and cancelled all classes for two days in preparation for the switch.

Amherst College in Massachusetts just announced that they're cancelling all physical classes and moving the classroom online. 
The University of Washington has shifted to remote teaching as well. So have Stanford University and University of Southern California. 

University of New Haven to Suspend Classes and Events Until Further Notice.

Fordham University in The Bronx suspended face-to-face instruction through Tuesday. Classes will begin online Wednesday. Hofstra University in Nassau County has cancelled in-person classes for the rest of the week as a precautionary measure. 

Princeton University announced that all lectures, seminars and precepts will move to virtual instruction starting on Mar. 23. The school encouraged students to stay home after spring break and meet their academic requirements remotely. New York University Wednesday 3/11–Friday 3/13, all classes to be conducted remotely. UC Berkeley has also followed suit. 

Right now, there are almost as many cases in New York State as there are in Washington, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It has been confirmed that there is now community spread in the state of Arizona and within our own county. 

Although the university has maintained the stance that coronavirus risk is low, there are serious health implications- especially for students and faculty who are immunocompromised. Furthermore coronavirus is known for its ability to infect a large number of people in a short amount of time and has an acute death rate. It has is often compared to the seasonal flu, but it while the mortality rate of the seasonal flu is less than 0.1 percent, the WHO estimates the mortality rate of COVID-19 to be 3.4 percent.  Coronavirus also has an incubation period of 1-14 days, during which time symptoms are not present, but the virus is communicable.

It is admirable that the university has recently changed policies to allow those who are sick to miss classes without penalty, but even with these there are still barriers for immunocompromised students and elderly faculty members. Missing classes to maintain personal safety in the face of this novel disease could affect the academic performance of those who are immunocompromised, and create more barriers to success for these marginalized students.

Given these facts it is crucial that the administration exercises caution and preemptively cancels ALL in person classes. We must ensure the health and safety of EVERY University of Arizona student.