coronavirus,

A University of Wollongong student has been taken to hospital to undergo testing for coronavirus after presenting to the campus medical clinic with flu-like symptoms. Paramedics were called to the university's main Gwynneville campus about 10.25am on Wednesday. A UOW security car met the ambulance on Northfields Avenue and escorted it a short distance to where the woman was waiting, at the bus interchange. Read more: Illawarra shoppers start stockpiling due to coronavirus fears She was wearing a protective face mask as she stepped inside the ambulance. Paramedics also wore masks and remained with the woman in the back of the ambulance for almost an hour before pulling away. However a UOW spokesman released a statement to say that staff assisted a student to access health services for the purpose of being tested for COVID-19. "The student has been taken in an ambulance to hospital where she will be tested," the spokesman said. "UOW will continue to monitor the situation and update students and staff as new information becomes available. "If the student needs to be isolated while waiting for test results, the university has suitable accommodation available that meets NSW Health's isolation requirements. "The university routinely helps students access health services when required, particularly international students who are unfamiliar with the Australian health system. "UOW staff will provide ongoing support to the student to ensure their welfare during this period." The spokesman said other students had previously sought the university's help to help access health services over concerns they may have contracted the virus. "To date there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus among UOW students and staff," he said. "The health and safety of all students and staff is UOW's highest priority." Read more: Wollongong Bishop outlines changes to Communion amid coronavirus concerns The spokesman added that UOW had long-established public health procedures in place, that had been refined from experience during previous influenza pandemics such as SARS in 2003. "Students or staff who are feeling unwell are advised to phone a general practitioner or their local hospital for information and not to visit in person," he said. The incident comes as the number of confirmed cases of the virus has surged, with 11 new COVID-19 infections in NSW since Sunday. The total number of cases in the state is now 15. Australia now has more than 40 cases. On Wednesday, health authorities confirmed a third person was infected via human-to-human transmission in Australia. This most recent diagnosis was a Sydney health worker in her 50s, who had not travelled outside Australia and contracted the virus locally.

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