COVID-19: Remaining Consciously Calm & Cautious to Keep Our Community Safe

Dear Great Community of SWIHA,

Please, above all, let us choose to be alert, conscious and calm as we seek to respond to the COVID-19 (Novel coronavirus). Let us not get consumed in doom, gloom or panic.

Like so many other organizations and colleges in the country, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts is taking the occurrence of the COVID-19 (Novel coronavirus) very seriously.  We have consciously chosen to remain calm and cautious.

We are concerned about the safety of our students, staff, instructors, studio members and clinic clients.  Their well-being remains our highest priority.  We will continue to closely monitor recommendations and protocols established by the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local health departments in regard to COVID-19.

As a precautionary measure, we have implemented increased hygiene routines, and we are monitoring the safety procedures outlined by healthcare organizations and leading authorities who guide and govern state licensed, nationally accredited colleges.

We know that at times when we feel out of control, the things we can control are our mental attitudes, our actions and our breath.  The Leadership Team at SWIHA has taken several deep thoughtful breaths and offer these proactive cautionary steps:

Increased hygiene steps at SWIHA:

• We are asking everyone to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after they have been in any of our public areas or after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing. You will see signs throughout the campus reminding people of these important hygiene basics. Be sure to clean under your fingernails where dirt and germs can accumulate.

• We have increased our maintenance procedures, ensuring that tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks are sanitized. We ask for your assistance in helping to ensure these areas remain clean. SWIHA has a very committed Maintenance Team who are aware of the importance of being especially vigilant during this time of alert.

• In addition to the soap and water that is readily available throughout our three facilities, we are providing hand sanitizer or a spray solution that contains at least 60% alcohol for use in further sanitizing public areas, including our yoga mats.

• For our students and guests who attend the public yoga class we encourage you to bring your own yoga mats. For those who use the public yoga mats provided by SWIHA, we are taking extra precautionary measures to ensure they are cleaned and sanitized after each use.

• We ask that staff and guests avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• If you are feeling unwell, have a cough, or have any sense you may have come into contact with the someone who has been infected with the virus, please take steps to safeguard others and remain at home and away from classrooms, clinics or yoga studio rooms.

Think of other's wellbeing as well as your own.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Currently what we know about the virus is that it is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

These are the proactive things we can do:

• Stay home if you’re sick or symptomatic.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
• Throw used tissues in the trash.
• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Wear a facemask if you are sick, however if you are sick we ask you refrain from coming to campus. If you are not sick you do not need to wear a facemask. We believe facemasks should be saved for caregivers who truly need the mask. Again, let remain calm and cautious.

Stay calm and communicate.

The Leadership team at SWIHA will continue to monitor the COVID-19 updates provided by the CDC and other updates from our accrediting agency.  We do not believe it is necessary to suspend classes or services on our campuses at this time.  We will continue to provide regular updates.

Please consider the words from Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, an Infectious Diseases Specialist: “While I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent known as COVID-19 has brought about– especially for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge -- I am most scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities and the message we are sending to our children. Instead of reason, rationality, open-mindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.

COVID-19 is nowhere near over. I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let’s meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing.”

Here at SWIHA we will face the future with facts not fear. We will clean hands, and continue to open hearts in prayer and compassion.

Blessings,
KC Miller and the SWIHA Staff & Faculty

For any questions please email us at info@swiha.edu