Updates

When survey responders were asked during a Virginia Tech study to rate their fear of the pandemic on a sliding scale, nearly 20 percent of women chose the highest possible option compared with 9.3 percent of men. However, previous studies have shown that men are more likely to experience severe illness or die of COVID-19.

For the past 20 months, Mulhare has been at the forefront of the university’s response to the virus, serving as Virginia Tech’s COVID director, leader of the Incident Management Team, and advisor to President Tim Sands and his leadership team.

Efforts to reduce the on-campus population of students and employees support the overall public health goal of limiting the potential spread of the virus. The reduced on-campus population reduces the public health risk for the entire community – including those working on campus and working remotely.

We have received many questions from employees about their options should the coronavirus spread more broadly across Virginia, especially with Friday’s announcement from Gov. Ralph Northam ordering all K-12 schools in the commonwealth to close for a minimum of two weeks.

It’s in times like these past few days that the honor of being a Hokie feels especially amplified. With uncertainty and anxiety coming from every direction, the spirit of generosity from our students and their families has been humbling.