Currently, the world is closely watching an outbreak of the Coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. As reported in the news section, the virus has spread to several other countries with travelers returning from this area. There have been five cases confirmed in the U.S. at the time this article was written.

Throughout human history, outbreaks of different viruses and diseases terrorized populations. This has only become worse as travel became easier and more sophisticated. Currently, the city of Wuhan is under quarantine and airports across the globe are on high alert.

However, here at Point Park, there is one issue that students have started to notice. The Health Center, located on the second floor of Thayer Hall, has had its door shut, lights off and an “appointments only” sign taped up on the door.

Previously, the Health Center moved to “appointments only” at some points during the day, but had stayed open for walk-ins during their main daytime hours during the week. However, for the past few weeks, the hand-written sign has been a permanent fixture.

This makes little sense. One reason is due to the fact that the Health Center is not suitable for treating most illnesses. In fact, the majority of the time, students who visit the Health Center are sent to a downtown UPMC doctor. The Health Center is not suitable for emergencies, though in some instances, students may need to visit in an emergency for guidance.

It’s weird and inefficient for students to schedule an appointment only to be sent to another appointment. The Health Center was designed to be a place for busy college students to be able to quickly stop in and receive some advice. Asking students to schedule an appointment is simply not suitable.