OXFORD, Ohio – Health officials worked Tuesday to calm fears at Miami University as they await the results of coronavirus tests for two students.

“We are on it. We stand prepared,” said Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, during a news conference on the Oxford campus.

No cases of the infectious illness have been diagnosed in Ohio, but public health authorities are ready to respond should cases appear.

The two students returned to Miami over the weekend from a trip to China during the university’s January break. One of the students, a Chinese national, visited the university's Student Health Service, complaining of flu-like symptoms.

The student and his traveling companion told health officials about their travels. Health authorities tested them for the coronavirus and instructed them to stay home. Butler County health officials said the students were feeling better Tuesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the only agency with the facilities to run tests for the illness. Acton said the tests include a blood draw, a nasal swab and a mucus sample. She said results won't be available for about a week.

Five cases of the new strain of coronavirus have been confirmed in the United States to date.

Calming fears

Acton spent much of the news conference trying to calm fears on campus, especially after the Miami men’s and women’s basketball games were postponed due to the concerns about the illness.

“Only with that travel history (to China) or with a direct contact with someone under investigation are you truly at risk," Acton said.

The illness did not become a public health problem in China until after Miami dismissed classes for the fall semester, so university officials did not think to warn students about the illness before they left campus.

Health officials advised Miami students and faculty to take precautions that are customary in flu season, including washing hands with hot water and soap and coughing or sneezing into an elbow. Wearing masks was not necessary.

What is coronavirus?

Starting in the city of Wuhan, the initial outbreak reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market but is now spreading person-to-person, according to the CDC.

More than 100 deaths have been attributed to the illness worldwide. As of Monday, the CDC was investigating 110 people in the United States for possible cases of coronavirus. To date, there have been five confirmed cases: two in California and one each in Washington, Arizona and Illinois.

Coronaviruses, named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces, are common in animals; this one apparently jumped to humans sometime in December.

Chinese health authorities are struggling to gain control of the illness’ spread. Some airlines are canceling flights to the country.

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Miami University has 17,327 undergraduate and 2,607 graduate students on its Oxford campus, which is about about 35 miles north of Cincinnati. Students from China are the university's largest population of international students with 2,334 enrolled.

Symptoms are similar to other respiratory viruses, including fever, coughing, shortness of breath, headache and nausea.

Should I be concerned?

If you have not traveled to China or have not been in contact with a person known or suspected to have the illness, there is no reason to be concerned at this time.

If you have traveled to Wuhan recently or had close contact with someone who has been confirmed with the virus, you should:

Monitor your health for 14 days from the day you first traveled or had close contact with someone ill.

Call your doctor, urgent care of hospital before going.

If you have symptoms, stay away from other people until you receive instructions.

Miami University sent an "important campus health update" to students and parents Tuesday morning, notifying them of the possible cases and providing a list of precautions students could take to avoid the flu or other viruses, including washing their hands and avoiding contact with sick people.

Miami University students with symptoms should contact Student Health Services at 513-529-3000 before seeking care.

Columbus bureau chief Jackie Borchardt and reporter Erin Glynn contributed to this article.

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