Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 This transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19. isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. Credit: NIAID-RML ▲ Gov. Mike DeWine adjusts his glasses while suggesting guidelines for Ohioans to deal with the coronavirus including not attending indoor events including sports at a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse March 10, 2020. [Eric Albrecht/Dispatch] ▲

>>This story is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to the Times-Gazette at https://www.times-gazette.com/subscribe.

A group of 18 Ashland University students may have come in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, or coronavirus, while attending a conference in Maryland, the school said Tuesday.

The students attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, from Feb. 26 through Feb. 29. They returned to the Ashland campus the following week, before leaving for spring break.

"Ashland University Safety and Security was notified of the possible exposure of the AU students and contacted both campus officials and the Ashland County Health Department," a news release said.

The health agency has notified the students, and they are cooperating with Ohio Department of Health's guidelines, said Jill Hartson, public information officer for the health department.

Tami Mosser, spokeswoman for the university, said she cannot release any student information due to privacy laws.

The university is working to provide rules for students, faculty and staff.

The coronavirus was first identified in December in Wuhan, China, and causes flu-like symptoms that can range from mild to serious.

There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.

Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine's recommended Tuesday that colleges and universities in the state move toward online and remote learning. By Tuesday evening, Ashland University, Otterbein University in Westerville, Kent State University, University of Toledo, University of Akron, Franklin University and Miami University had also suspended in-person classes.

Ashland University will suspend all face-to-face classroom instruction as of Monday and move those classes to an online format beginning Wednesday, March 18. Normal face-to-face instruction is targeted to resume on March 30, the school said.

Courses normally offered through an online format will continue as scheduled.

The university said it would provide updates in the coming days, including information regarding access to campus and general operations.

"While we understand there are concerns about the continuity of academic programs and our campus operations, these will be addressed as we stay focused on the immediate health and safety of our campus community," the school said in a release.

The College of Wooster plans to follow suit.

"The college will be in touch over the next several days with faculty, staff, students and families about the specifics of how we will work - both now and after spring break concludes on March 23rd," President Sarah Bolton said in a statement.

A number of Ohio colleges are on spring break, including Ohio State. When break concludes, students may complete their virtual coursework at their permanent place of residence or return to campus.

"We will do all we can to minimize the risk in the dorms for those students who are living in the dorms," Ohio State President Michael Drake told reporters Tuesday. "We will use appropriate public health measures to make the food service and delivery circumstances that students find themselves using as safe as they can be."

Drake said it is a personal choice for students and families whether to return to campus while in-person classes are suspended.

"What we want to do is to make it as safe as possible for everyone who comes back," he said.

At the K-12 level, DeWine recommended that schools remain open, but officials and families should prepare for the possibility of a closure. Local school districts would ultimately decide whether to close, working with local health departments to arrive at a decision, said Mandy Minick, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education.

The state is encouraging district leaders to review and update their safety plans. That includes updating contact information for families and staff and refreshing relationships with the local health department and the county's emergency management agency.

Every school building in Ohio is required to submit a safety plan that outlines procedures for emergency situations, according to state law.

As a best practice, the plan should include hazards such as widespread flu and pandemic disease outbreaks, as well as plans for continuity of operations in the case of long-term closures. The education department's website says schools should have established procedures for determining when to close a building, how to communicate information to families, students and staff, and procedures for decontaminating facilities if necessary.

School nurses have also received guidance from the health department on how to reduce the spread of illness.

The state has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue offering free and reduced-price meals to low-income students should schools close, Minick said. Children going hungry has been a concern elsewhere in the country, such as Washington state, where the most students have been affected, leading to districts delivering free meals and offering them for pickup.

For more information on COVID-19 in Ohio, the state coronavirus call center can be reached by dialing 1-833-427-5634.

— Reporter Valerie Royzman can be reached at 330-287-1638, vroyzman@the-daily-record.com or on Twitter @valerieroyzman.

— Includes reporting from The Columbus Dispatch.