Monkeypox: Colleges & Universities Take Precautions For Fall Semester

Universities across the country are preparing for students to return to dorms and classrooms, and this year , as schools are faced with protecting student populations from spreading monkeypox, a number of institutions are taking various approaches.

A student health clinic at the University of Tennessee Southern in Pulaski is educating and encouraging those who are vaccinated to seek medical attention.

There is now a monkeypox resource page on the student health center's website at the University of Memphis.

According to Oak Ridger, Austin Peay State University is monitoring cases in the region and is ready to conduct emergency operations. In addition, in the health centers at Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, MPV tests are available if necessary.

The University of Maryland, George Washington University, American University, and University of District of Columbia have all reported a few cases leading up to the start of a new school year, reports ABC affiliate WUSA.

WUSA 9 cited information from GW, AU, Howard University, and the University of Maryland on their recommendations for students to prevent the spread.

It is recommended that students who catch the virus wear masks when leaving their rooms, cover any lesions with clothing, and contact the university health center for further information.

There are varying policies among some D.C. schools regarding roommates who test positive for MPV.

According to WUSA, Howard University plans to clean the room thoroughly and isolate the roommate. According to GWU, they're doing isolation in place so that roommates won't be moving to different rooms - they'll be forced to maintain their distance or devise a plan to isolate elsewhere.

Universities and colleges use various strategies to update returning students and faculty on MPV research. For example, as part of its website update, the University of Massachusetts Amherst urged its community to take action to combat the disease.

There will be no change to Boston University's COVID-19 protocols for the fall semester, which require masks on shuttle buses and not in classrooms and only allow testing for those who have already shown symptoms.

However, to prevent MPV transmission, the university announced it would ensure that infected employees and students isolate themselves and skip classes while infected, MassLive reports.

There have been MPV cases reported at several other universities around the country, including Bucknell University and West Chester University in Pennsylvania, ABC News reports.

For the latest on monkeypox, visit the CDC's website here.