Questions were swirling on Monday as to how Arizona State University will protect its students and staff after the Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed a member of the ASU community became the fifth person in the U.S. to be diagnosed with the new coronavirus on Sunday.

ASU sent a campus-wide email on Sunday acknowledging that one case of the new coronavirus was diagnosed "in the ASU community" and that the person lives in Tempe.

"This individual does not live in university housing, is not severely ill and is currently in isolation to keep the illness from spreading," the email said.

The person had recently returned from travel to Wuhan, China, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

On Monday afternoon students at ASU's Tempe campus could be seen wearing masks in an attempt to protect themselves from the virus.

Yuxin Lu, a supply-chain management major, and his friend Huijia Lin, who is studying data analytics, visited a Home Depot to buy masks with air filters shortly after seeing the news. Lin said they decided to purchase masks given how seriously the Chinese government was taking the outbreak.

"All of the masks are out of stock," Lu told The Arizona Republic. Lu said most stores around campus were sold out shortly after the news broke.

Home Depot spokeswoman Margaret Watters Smith told The Republic that the company doesn't track inventory on a regional level but that, overall, "we are seeing increased demand for face masks" and they're working to replenish their supply.

ASU declines students' petition to cancel class

ASU student Taskina Bhuiyan started a Change.org petition Sunday evening calling on ASU to provide more information about the new coronavirus case, to clean the areas where the sick person had been, and to cancel classes until it has done so.

"There are people at ASU with a compromised immune system who might easily, and unfortunately, fall victim to this contagious virus," the petition says. "Students just want to know more information about this virus before going on campus."

More than 15,000 people had signed the petition as of Monday evening.

Bhuiyan, who is 18 and studying microbiology at the Tempe campus, told The Republic that she and her friends are frustrated that ASU has not shared whether the infected person has been on campus or where, or if anyone who came in contact with that person has been tested for coronavirus.

"ASU was not being transparent with the community in my opinion," she said. "Our health should be the topmost priority right now, and personally I feel that is not the response we are receiving from ASU."

ASU Provost Mark Searle sent an email to the ASU community on Monday afternoon stating that the risk to the public is believed to be low and that the university would not cancel classes.

"We have received many inquiries about university operations in light of this case. The university remains open and classes are not cancelled," he wrote in the email.

ASU says it will notify anyone exposed to infected person

The university's emails have echoed recommendations from various health officials, which includes washing hands often, avoiding contact with people who are sick and getting a flu shot.

ASU's emails also said the university is working closely with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health to find and notify anyone exposed to the infected person. The university did not elaborate on the extent to which the person was isolating themselves.

"Those who have been exposed will be notified directly by either ASU or Public Health and given specific instructions on monitoring for symptoms," the emails said. "If you have not been notified, you have not been identified to be at risk of developing symptoms."

In the email sent Monday, ASU reiterated a statement from the Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ that "the immediate risk of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus to the general public is believed to be low at this time."

The Centers for Disease Control says those infected with the new coronavirus typically exhibit symptoms within two to 14 days after being exposed. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and difficulty breathing.

ASU urged anyone who has health concerns or believes they're experiencing symptoms to call ASU Health Services at 480-965-3349.

UA cancels Chinese New Year event

Although the only confirmed case of new coronavirus in Arizona is in Maricopa County, the University of Arizona in Tucson announced on Monday that it is canceling its Global Chinese New Year Festival Show scheduled for Saturday.

The show has been "canceled due to travel concerns and related challenges arising from the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Associated festival activities will be postponed until further notice," a statement from the university said.

"We regret that we have to take this action, but it's best to be careful at this stage," Liesl Folks, UA provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said in the statement. "Our thoughts are with the victims of this virus in China and here at home, and we're hopeful that all the people working around the world to contain and control this threat are soon successful."

Zhao Chen, who is the director of the Confucius Institute at UA, told The Arizona Republic that they "were expecting several groups of performers from China" and "the performers have not arrived yet and traveling would be challenging."

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

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