Hide Transcript Show Transcript

CONFIRMED CASES. JENNIFER SCHULZE MADE A TRIP TO SERVICES CENTER FOR ONE REASON TO PICK UP MASKS FOR HER VOLLEYBALL TEAM. >> WE GOT NEWS OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND WE WANTED WEAR MASKS TO BE SAFER ON CAMPUS. KARIN: YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO LOOK HARD TODAY TO FIND OTHERS WITH THEIR MOUTHS COVERED. >> THESE DAYS IT’S BECAUSE THE VIRUS. KARIN: UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS HAVE NOTIFIED STUDENTS AND STAFF TWO STUDENTS WERE TESTED FOR THE CORONAVIRUS. BOTH RECENTLY RETURNED FROM CHINA TOGETHER AND ONE OF THE TWO WAS EXPERIENCING FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS. BUTLER COUNTY’S HEALTH COMMISSIONER SAYS MIAMI CONTACTED HER IMMEDIATELY. >> THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. THEY ISOLATED THE STUDENTS IMMEDIATELY AND CALLED US AND THEN WE DID AN INVESTIGATION, INTERVIEWED THE STUDENTS AND PLACED THEM IN A HOME SITUATION BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT SICK ENOUGH TO BE HOSPITALIZED. KARIN: RESPIRATORY AND BLOOD SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE TWO STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL. >> CURRENTLY THE ONLY PLACE TO DO THE TESTING IS THE CDC. THE CDC IS ANTICIPATING ITS TAKING AT LEAST 48 HOURS IT MAY BE LONGER WITH THE KI OF VOLUME THEY ARE GETTING. KARIN: NOW ON AND AROUND CAMPUS CONCERN IS GROWING. >> ESPECIALLY WITH THE NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WE HAVE AND HOW WE JUST GOT BACK FROM J TERM AND THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO IT. KARIN: BUT HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE REMINDING THE PUBLIC HOW UNCOMMON THE CORONAVIRUS IS. >> I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR THE CORONAVIRUS HAVE HAD SOMETHING ELSE. KARIN: I’M TOLD BOTH STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED ATTEND THE MAIN CAMPUS HERE IN OXFORD. THEY ARE BEING KEPT IN ISOLATION AT THEIR RESIDENCE OFF CAMPUS BUT AUTHORITIES DECLINED TO SAY IF THAT IS HERE IN OXFORD OR SOMEWHERE ELSE THEY ALSO DECLINED TO SAY WHICH AIRPORT THEY FLEW INTO. LIVE IN OXFORD, KARIN JOHN

Advertisement 2 Miami University students tested for coronavirus Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Two students at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio are being tested for a possible infection of the coronavirus, school officials said Tuesday.On Monday morning, one student showed up at Student Health Services with very mild symptoms, and with recent travel to China, met the criteria to be tested, school health officials said. University officials contacted the Butler County Health Department. "They knew exactly what to do. They isolated the students immediately and called us, and then, we did an investigation, interviewed the students and placed them in a home situation because they're not sick enough to be hospitalized," Butler County Health Commissioner Jenny Bailer said. The student, described only as a male, and his traveling companion are isolated in their off-campus residence while awaiting the test results. According to school officials, only one of these students showed potential symptoms, and the other is being tested as a precaution.Respiratory and blood samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control."Currently, the only place to do the testing is the CDC. The CDC is anticipating it's taking at least 48 hours. It may be longer with the kind of volume they're getting," said Dr. Amy Action, director of the Ohio Department of Health. Around campus, there is concern among students. Sophomore Jennifer Schulze made a trip to the health center to pick up masks for members of her volleyball team. "Especially with the number of international students we have and how we just got back from J term (winter break), there are so many people that could have been exposed to it," Schulze said.The Tuesday night men's basketball game against Central Michigan and the Wednesday night women's basketball against Western Michigan have been postponed. The opposing teams have decided to cancel the games out of precaution. Miami Athletics announced Wednesday that the postponed games have been rescheduled. The women's basketball game has been rescheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. and the men's basketball game will be rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. The novel coronavirus has sickened thousands and killed at least 100 people in China. The virus mainly sickens animals, but this specific coronavirus "jumped the species barrier" to infect people on a large scale, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.Despite the coronavirus' impact in China, the CDC maintains that the risk to Americans is low.Reported illnesses have ranged from infected people with little or no symptoms to death, officials with the CDC said. Symptoms are similar to other respiratory illnesses. These viruses may cause mild to severe respiratory illnesses with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath.As of Tuesday morning, there were 1,771 new cases confirmed in China, raising the national total to 4,515, according to the National Health Commission. It said 976 people were in serious condition.Infections have been confirmed in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France, Germany, Canada, Australia and Sri Lanka.The sharp rise in infections in recent days suggests there has been significant human-to-human spread of the virus, though it could also be explained by expanded monitoring efforts, said Malik Peiris, chair in virology at the University of Hong Kong.Experts worry that the new virus may spread more easily than originally thought, or may have mutated into a form that does so. It is from the coronavirus family, which also can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses such as SARS.WLWT will update this story as details develop.