A UMass Boston student returning to school from Wuhan, China, is the first confirmed case of the potentially deadly novel coronavirus in Massachusetts.

The student, a male in his 20s, landed at Logan International Airport on Jan. 28 with a runny nose. He sought medical treatment on Jan. 29, public health officials said.

He did not require hospitalization and has been “isolated” at his home — not a dormitory — while public health nurses continue to monitor his condition, city and state health officials said in a telephone press conference Saturday, adding that the student was “doing quite well.”

“We are fortunate in that the man quickly recognized that he was sick, that he was at risk for infection, and sought medical care quickly,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Infectious Disease.

Madoff said the number of people the student came in contact with was “very few, we could really count them on our fingers,” and was limited to household members and the medical professionals who treated him.

“The risk remains quite low at this time,” Madoff said. “This the only case in Massachusetts and we are closely monitoring it.”

Dr. Jennifer Lo, medical director for the Boston Public Health Commission, said people should not be “letting our fears about the unknowns of this novel coronavirus get the best of us. Boston and the state of Massachusetts is prepared to address and respond as needed.”

UMass Boston addressed the situation in a letter to the school community Saturday.

“I want to let you know that a member of the UMass Boston community who recently returned from Wuhan, China has tested positive for the novel coronavirus,” interim Chancellor Katherine Newman wrote in the letter, a copy of which the university provided to the Herald.

“We are working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) to ensure all guidelines and protocols are diligently followed. These agencies will continue to monitor the treatment and health of the affected person. State and city public health authorities have informed us that the risk to members of our community is low. For these reasons, we expect ‘business as usual’ on campus,” Newman added.

Wuhan is the epicenter of the virus that has triggered a global emergency declaration from the World Health Organization and a public health emergency here in the U.S. The man is the eighth case of the coronavirus in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The student’s “close contacts” have been identified and are also being monitored, state public health officials added.

“We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately,’’ said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel. “Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly. Again, the risk to the public from the 2019 novel coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts.”

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said the city has been preparing for a potential coronavirus case.

“We’ve been preparing for this for a bit now,” Walsh told a Herald reporter Saturday.

Walsh added, “To our knowledge there’s no threat beyond this isolated incident, this isolated case, I should say. And we’re going to keep an eye on it and monitor the situation, certainly getting information out to the public all along.”

The mayor encouraged anyone feeling sick who is unsure of their symptoms to contact a medical professional and the city immediately.

Gov. Charlie Baker said Saturday in a statement, “Protecting public health is a top priority for our administration and while the risk remains low for Massachusetts, state public health officials are working hand-in-hand with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local boards of health and other local partners. People should take the same precautions they do to prevent the spread of the cold and flu, and the Department of Public Health will continue to work with medical professionals across the Commonwealth.​”

In China, the death toll from the new virus surpassed 300. The World Health Organization also warned other governments Saturday to prepare for “domestic outbreak control” if the disease spreads.

In Wuhan, some 50 million people are prevented from leaving in a sweeping anti-virus effort, the Associated Press is reporting. The number of confirmed cases in China rose to 11,791, surpassing the number from the 2002-03 outbreak of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

Boston is on the CDC list of 20 ports of entry that were ordered to have advanced coronavirus screening for any passengers whose trips began in China. The UMass Boston student flew in from Wuhan the day before screening began, public health officials said.

On Sunday, the U.S. will begin funneling all flights into the country from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for the illness.

The seven airports that will receive all direct flights from China are in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, according to reports.

Rita Nieves, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, said Saturday the focus now is to “help this man continue to recover” while both protecting and informing the public.

“Right now, we are not asking Boston residents to do anything differently. The risk to the general public remains low. And we continue to be confident we are in a good position to respond to this developing situation,” Nieves added.

Both the state DPH and Boston health officials are working in close conjunction with the CDC.

Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, whose district includes Chinatown, has been sending out updates in Mandarin and Cantonese to keep his constituents informed.

“People are concerned but they also have confidence in our city and state public health professionals,” he said.

Flynn also said the Chinese and Chinese-American community in Boston deserves “our respect and dignity and empathy, not just on this public health issue, but at all times.”

BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Passengers off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wear masks as they arrive Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Members of the flight crew off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wear masks as they arrive Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: A Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai arrives at Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)



BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Members of the flight crew off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wear masks as they arrive Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Jason Xu, a passenger off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wears a mask as he arrives Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Passengers off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wear masks as they arrive Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)



BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Members of the flight crew off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wear masks as they arrive Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Wan Wu, a passenger off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wears a mask as he arrives Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON, MA: January 30, 2020: Passengers off a Hainan Airlines flight from Shanghai wear masks as they arrive Boston Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)



This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP)

BOSTON, MA: January 29, 2020: Alyiah Gary and Kissala Mouyabi wear masks as they arrive at Logan Airport in an effort to prevent contracting the coronavirus from other travelers, in Boston Massachusetts. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

FILE - This file photo provided by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission of the MERS coronavirus that emerged in 2012. Health officials on Monday, May 12, 2014 confirmed a second U.S. case of the mysterious virus that has sickened hundreds in the Middle East.



Travelers wear face masks as they walk outside of the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020. China reported Monday a sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new coronavirus, including the first cases in the capital. The outbreak coincides with the country’s busiest travel period, as millions board trains and planes for the Lunar New Year holidays. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Here is the official Massachusetts Department of Public Health release. This is a developing story …

BOSTON (February 1, 2020) – The first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in Massachusetts has been confirmed in a man returning from Wuhan, China who is in his 20s and lives in Boston. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) were notified by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the positive test results late Friday evening. This is the eighth case of infection with 2019 novel coronavirus reported in the United States. The risk to the public from the 2019 novel coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts.

The man recently traveled to Wuhan, China, and sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts. He has been isolated since that time and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. His few close contacts have been identified and are being monitored for any sign of symptoms.

“We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately,’’ said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel. “Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly. Again, the risk to the public from the 2019 novel coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts.”

“Our priority is not only to protect and inform the residents of Boston but also to help this man continue to recover. We are pleased that he is doing well,” said BPHC Executive Director Rita Nieves. “Right now, we are not asking Boston residents to do anything differently. The risk to the general public remains low. And we continue to be confident we are in a good position to respond to this developing situation.”

DPH and BPHC continue to work closely with the CDC to maintain vigilance during this virus outbreak.

The novel coronavirus has resulted in thousands of confirmed human infections in more than 20 countries, with more than 99 percent of cases in China. To date, eight cases have been confirmed in the US: three people in California, two in Illinois and one individual each in Massachusetts, Washington State, and Arizona.

On Friday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared the 2019 novel coronavirus a public health emergency and ordered any US citizens returning from the center of the outbreak in China to be quarantined for two weeks as a precaution. This followed a declaration Thursday by the World Health Organization that the coronavirus outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Also that day the CDC reported the first case of person-to-person transmission in Illinois between household members.

Massachusetts state health officials, in conjunction with Massport, local health departments, and other medical partners, have responded to prevent the spread of the virus.

Among the steps taken by the Department of Public Health:

Established an Incident Command Structure to facilitate regular dissemination of information from federal and state partners to statewide stakeholders.

Launched a new website that provides up-to-date information on the status of novel coronavirus for all residents: https://www.mass.gov/2019coronavirus.

Developed and disseminated clinical advisories to all Massachusetts health care providers and issued guidance to hospitals, health systems, and Emergency Medical Services.

Scheduled calls with other key health care partners including local boards of health.

Coronaviruses are respiratory viruses and are generally spread through respiratory secretions (droplets from coughs and sneezes) of an infected person to another person. Symptoms of novel coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath, and, in severe cases, pneumonia (fluid in the lungs). Information about how this novel coronavirus spreads is still limited.

Although the risk of the coronavirus to Massachusetts residents remains low, people are advised to take many of the same steps they do to help prevent colds and the flu, including:

TIPS TO HELP STAY HEALTHY…

Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

Cover coughs and sneezes.

Stay home when feeling sick.

Clinicians who see patients with recent travel in China, especially Hubei Province, who have a fever,

lower respiratory tract symptoms (such as shortness of breath and cough), and/or contact with a

known novel coronavirus patient, should contact DPH 24/7 at (617) 983-6800 for assistance. In

Boston, providers should contact BPHC at 617-534-5611.

The new DPH website provides relevant up-to-date information on the state of the novel coronavirus for all residents: mass.gov/2019coronavirus.

Additional details and guidance regarding the novel coronavirus, is available from the CDC: 2019 Novel Coronavirus.