Table 5.

Measures to be taken in Higher Education Institutions of Turkey about COVID-19, when there were no reported COVID-19 cases [March 6, 2020] [42].

1. Travel and international meetingsAll of students, academic and administrative staff were advised to reconsider their travel plans, especially their overseas travel plans for reasons such as exchange programs, congresses and meetings and to cancel them in case they were not essential. They were advised to do the following if they were required to travel: a. To check if there were any travel warnings or bans for the country concerned, b. To pay attention to personal hygiene during their travels, c. To visit the nearest health institution if any signs of infection appear during or after their travels and to inform the Turkish Embassy if they were abroad during this time.

2. Meetings with international participation If a high number of attendance was expected from the countries with epidemics in meetings with international participation to be held in our country, it was advised to postpone the planned meeting and consider having online meetings. The following precautions were advised for ongoing meetings; - To provide the necessary environment for hand hygiene and to place hand disinfectants in accessible areas, - To inform and remind the participants about the modes of transmission and prevention methods for COVID-19 before and after the meetings.

3. Measures to be taken against discrimination and stigma- Students and academics from countries with COVID-19, such as China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy, who did not travel to their home countries recently and who any cases of COVID-19 were not reported from their country, were not more prone to contract, carry or transmit the disease, similar to Turkish or other international students. - Utmost attention must be paid to ensure that fear and anxiety about the disease do not cause panic, that people from a certain community or nation are not considered as the source and carrier of the disease, and that international students and academics, especially students and academics from China and other Asian countries, do not face discrimination. - It is essential for the Turkish Academia to be sensitive about this issue and to provide the necessary information and take precautions to prevent mistreatment. - In addition to paying attention to hygiene at campuses, university administrators are advised to hang posters about personal hygiene rules, especially in places such as lecture halls, corridors, dining halls, etc. where people gather, and to share information leaflets with university departments.- Follow the updates on the disease on the official website of the Ministry of Health.