April 1, 2020

To Prevent the Spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Course in Atmosphere-Ocean and Climate Dynamics,
Graduate School of Environmental Sciences, Hokkaido University[The Current Status] The major transmission routes of the coronavirus are as follows:
A) Contact infection: The infected person touches an object (such as a doorknob) withhands with virus; and other people touch the object later, and then touch their mouth,eyes, or nose with their hands.
B) Droplet infection: The virus is released with sneezing, coughing, saliva, etc. by theinfected person; and other people receive the virus by breathing in the air containing
the virus.
C) Aerosol infection (micro droplet infection): Same as the droplet infection, but theparticle size is much smaller, and those particles may float in the air for 1 hour or more.
From the analysis so far, it was found that the following conditions are of very high risk:
multiple people stay in a closed room with poor ventilation, with a short distance (arm’sreach) each other, and talk each other (while emitting saliva) for a certain period of time.

[Request to Everyone]
While we would like to welcome new students and hold a welcome party, we cancel all suchevents. For each room/group, please do not hold welcome party, either. Avoid socialgatherings at Izakaya restaurants and pubs where many unspecified people gather.

If you have any cold symptoms such as fever, coughing, sore throat, or any impairment ofsmell or taste (loosing smell/taste), please do not hesitate to stay at home; do not come tothe university. In that case, please contact the (temporary) supervisor by email. In ourcourse, if you are absent from lectures and practices, teachers will make every effort for you
to be able to follow up. If necessary, please email to the teacher in charge of thelectures/practices.

In the room, try to provide sufficient ventilation (either by keeping the windows open, or by
regularly opening the windows for 5 to 10 minutes every hour).

When talking with the colleagues in the room, keep the ventilation of the room well, keep a
distance of at least 1 m, and wear a mask as much as possible. In addition, please do nothave heated discussion that would result in splashing saliva from your mouth. Note that
handmade masks using, for example, handkerchiefs are also effective in preventing splashfrom your mouth and nose.

When attending lectures and practices, please wash your hands with soap or with hand soap
both before and after, and wear a mask as much as possible.

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In addition to frequent hand washing, when going out on holidays, avoid places where therisk of infection is high, such as crowded indoors, as much as possible.

(Protecting yourself from infection will protect your colleagues at the university)[When you have the symptoms, or when you think you may be infected]

Manage your physical condition, and stay at home if you have a cold symptom or fever (above37.5 degrees C). It is advisable for people living alone to secure several days' worth of food inadvance.
Currently, the Japanese government recommends that if you have a cold or a fever of 37.5
degrees C or more for more than 4 days, you should call and see your doctor. In that case, first,
please make a phone call to the “Returnee and Contact Center (Health Center)” at TEL: 011272-7119 and follow their instructions. When consulting a medical institution, wear a mask asmuch as possible and avoid using public transportation.
In that case, please also contact the supervisor by email.
We ask everyone to take responsible actions to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection.
----The English-version website of the Hokkaido University on the COVID-19: “COVID-19 Health
Alerts and Advisories”
https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/university-life/health-and-wellness/covid-19-health-alerts-andadvisories/