We are calling on the administration of the University of North Texas to take decisive and proactive action to ensure the safety of our students and their families in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge the administration to cancel face-to-face classes and activities and transition to virtual instruction.



There are currently 1312 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, with 22 cases in Texas (1, 2). This number is expected to rise exponentially in the coming days and weeks. The first confirmed case in the DFW metroplex was announced March 9th (3), and 25 Denton residents are currently in quarantine after potential exposure (4).



According to the World Health Organization, the current case fatality rate of COVID-19 is 3.4%. While the majority of fatalities are above the age of 60, many younger people with pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases are also at risk of severe illness (5). Additionally, young students who may not develop severe symptoms themselves can still bring the virus home to older family members who are at greater risk of severe illness.



Cases of COVID-19 on the University of North Texas campus are increasingly likely as students return from Spring break. Seattle and New York City have recently become epicenters of the US outbreak with sustained community transmission and over 200 confirmed cases each. These cities remain popular tourist destinations, but UNT’s dedicated coronavirus information page has not been significantly updated since March 3 and does not mention domestic travel at all (6). It is very likely that at least one student will travel domestically to one of these high-risk communities and contract the virus, bringing it back to Denton after spring break.



New research (7) shows that on average it takes five days for an infected person to develop symptoms. Per the CDC website (8), an infected person can unknowingly spread the virus before exhibiting any symptoms, although transmissiveness increases once symptoms develop. However, by the time symptoms have developed to a point where testing for COVID-19 is necessary, the virus will likely have already spread to several other people.



Assuming the eventual spread of COVID-19 on UNT’s campus is inevitable, it is prudent to begin considering risk mitigation techniques. One of the most effective ways to limit community spread of the virus is to proactively implement social-distancing interventions.



In a 2007 academic study (9), researchers from the CDC and University of Michigan Medical School, examined the effects of early implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions during the 1918 influenza pandemic. The interventions analyzed included closure of schools, cancellations of public-gatherings, and quarantine/isolation. The conclusions of the study show a strong correlation between early, sustained, and layered application of nonpharmaceutical interventions and mitigating the consequences of the pandemic. Additionally, they found a “statistically significant association between increased duration of nonpharmaceutical interventions and a reduced total mortality burden”. In layman’s terms, the researchers found a strong correlation between closing schools earlier, and less people in the community dying.



Additionally, the CDC’s updated interim guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) actually recommends suspending face-to-face classes once the virus is present in the community (10). “Temporarily suspending classes is a strategy to stop or slow the further spread of COVID-19 in communities. When classes are suspended, the IHE may stay open for staff or faculty (unless ill) while students temporarily stop attending in-person classes. Keeping the IHE facilities open a) allows faculty to develop and deliver lessons and materials electronically, thus maintaining continuity of teaching and learning; and b) allows other staff members to continue to provide services and help with additional response efforts."



Canceling face-to-face classes may seem like a drastic measure to take before we discover community spread of the virus in Denton. However, many universities have already made this transition, several in states with only a handful a confirmed cases.



On March 8th, Rice University’s Crisis Management Team announced their decision to cancel a week of classes to prepare for remote learning after spring break (11). Other prominent universities have also made this decision, including Princeton University (12), Stanford University (13), Harvard University (14), Ohio State University (15), Indiana University (16), San Francisco State University (17), San Jose State University (18), Vanderbilt University (19), Purdue University (20), MIT (21), UC Berkeley (22), Amherst College (23), UC San Diego (24), Seattle University (25), University of Washington (26), Columbia University (27), Hofstra University (28), Yeshiva University (29), Smith College (30), and Rutgers University (31).



In his statement on March 9th, the president of Princeton University said, “We understand that these and other measures will cause significant disruption and inconvenience to the campus community, but we strongly believe that actions taken now will have the greatest chance of decreasing risk, and that the potential consequences of not acting could far outweigh these short-term disruptions.”



There is still time to be proactive in slowing the spread of this disease. We do not encourage panic, but believe timely and measured actions are necessary to mitigate this risk. We urge you to prioritize the health and safety of students, faculty, and the community at large.