Duquesne Students Returning From Study Abroad Due To Coronavirus Have More Questions Than Answers
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Dozens of Duquesne University students studying in Rome were forced to come home early after the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.
Now that the students are back, they can't return to campus for two weeks.
Some of the students are feeling confused, including one that talked to KDKA on Friday.
The uncharted waters of the coronavirus have led to more questions than answers for the Duquesne study abroad students who've returned home.
"There's just no direction, no guidance for what's supposed to happen, what we are expected to do at this point," Paige Misitis said.
Misitis was in Rome days ago, and she was supposed to be there for another two months.
The university cut the study abroad program short when the CDC raised its travel health notice to a Level 3 for Italy.
"In Rome, there weren't any cases, but Milan was very bad and I think Florence started to get pretty bad too. So people did wear masks," said Misitis.
Misitis, a sophomore business major, and nearly 60 other study abroad students can't go back to Duquesne University just yet.
On Friday, the students were told they needed to self-isolate, according to a letter obtained by KDKA.
But Misitis wonders what happens now, not only with her classes but with her life.
"Can I go outside? Can I go to the gym? Can I go to the grocery store? I don't know, no one told me not to. All I'm told is I can't go back to my campus," Misitis said.
She said the confusion and lack of communication is the hardest part.
She and other study abroad students feel stigmatized by others right now.
"I even have friends that are getting harassment texts from their friends saying it's kind of rude for you to be inconsiderate of others and leave your house, think about others," Misitis said.
"Even though we have nothing to do with the coronavirus. We aren't sick, nobody's sick so far that we know of," Misitis said.
The school is following the CDC's recommendations that require the 14-day self-quarantine period for anyone returning from CDC Level 3 countries.