"On Jan. 24, days before the start of the spring semester, Harvard University Health Services Director Giang T. Nguyen informed Harvard affiliates in an email that the University would monitor the spread of COVID-19 coming out of Wuhan, China.
Practically speaking, though, he wrote that the flu posed a larger threat on campus than the novel coronavirus.
‘As students arrive back on campus and we find ourselves in the midst of cold and flu season, I want to remind you to be vigilant in taking precautions to prevent the spread of illnesses,’ Nguyen wrote.
Nguyen’s email marked the first of many Harvard undergraduates would receive about the coronavirus. At first, they concerned Harvard’s centers and activities in far off places.
But while students received emails about travel restrictions and hygiene tips, behind the scenes, College administrators began to discuss more extreme changes the virus might bring about on campus." …
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/4/1/harvard-coronavirus-khurana-decision/