Dr. Gormley said she had met with all of the students who had traveled through Wuhan and tried to make them feel welcome.

“We would do whatever we have to do to take care of our people in our community here, whether they were from Wuhan, whether they had traveled to Wuhan, or whether they were another student,” Ms. Gormley said. “And I hope they know that. But I can imagine that being an exchange student in this context would be really scary.”

Students have described a rising anti-Chinese sentiment on their campuses that has extended to anyone of Asian descent. Some students have posted online about avoiding all Asian classmates or steering clear of Chinatowns.

Aaron Li, a senior at Cornell from China, said that he had created a form for Chinese students to anonymously submit concerns or questions about the virus and that one troubling response stuck out. It was from a student who said he had lied to his friends about spending winter break in California; he had actually returned home to China.

“He was worried about what his friends would think,” Mr. Li said, adding that some Chinese students had to simultaneously worry about the health of family members back home.