Harvard’s president and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus, the university announced on Tuesday.
President Larry Bacow and his wife Adele are being treated at home, Harvard University wrote in a Tweet.
“We started experiencing symptoms on Sunday – first coughs then fevers, chills, and muscle aches – and contacted our doctors on Monday,” the president wrote in a letter to the Harvard community on Tuesday. “We were tested yesterday and just received the results a few minutes ago. We wanted to share this news with all of you as soon as possible.”
They don’t know how they contracted the highly contagious disease, Bacow wrote.
“But the good news – if there is any to be had – is that far fewer people crossed our paths recently than is usually the case,” Bacow wrote. “We began working from home and completely limiting our contact with others on March 14 in keeping with recommendations to adopt social distancing measures. In line with standard protocols, the Department of Public Health will be in touch with anyone with whom we have had close contact over the past fourteen days.”
They will be isolated at home for two weeks.
“I am blessed with a great team, and many of my colleagues will be taking on more responsibility over the next few weeks as Adele and I focus on just getting healthy,” Bacow wrote. “Thanks, in advance, for your good wishes.”