3 Baltimore Students Test Negative For Coronavirus: Governor

BALTIMORE, MD — The three students who attend a private Jewish school in Baltimore have tested negative for the new coronavirus, Gov. Larry Hogan reported Friday night.

The private school in Baltimore announced it was taking precautions earlier in the week due to concerns that three students may have been exposed to the new coronavirus.

Bnos Yisroel in the 6300 block of Park Heights Avenue stayed open Thursday but said it was in the process of disinfecting the school after three students were potentially exposed to someone who tested positive for the new coronavirus in New York, WBAL reported.

The three girls who may have had indirect contact with a new coronavirus-infected person in New York were sent home early Wednesday, and the school reported it was in contact with the health departments in Baltimore City as well as Maryland and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They will not return to school until they have been cleared, according to WBAL.

Three people in Maryland tested positive for the virus, and they had contracted it while traveling overseas, Gov. Hogan said in a statement Thursday night. They are the first confirmed cases of the illness in the state, where officials say more than 30 people have met the criteria for testing.

The new coronavirus was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

Symptoms are fever, cough, difficulty breathing and pneumonia, resulting in anything from mild respiratory issues to death.

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Globally, more than 97,000 people have been infected and over 3,300 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported as of Thursday night. More than 80,000 cases of the new coronavirus are in China. The United States has had more than 220 confirmed cases to date and 12 deaths from the new coronavirus, the data show.

The new coronavirus spreads between those closer than 6 feet apart through respiratory droplets when a person who is infected coughs or sneezes and the droplets get into the mouths or noses of others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those with chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cancer appear to be at higher risk of infection, according to authorities.

Maryland health officials recommend hand washing as a way to protect against the spread of viruses in general, including influenza and the new coronavirus. People should also keep their hands away from their eyes and mouth, stay home when sick and cough or sneeze into a tissue.

People can visit health.maryland.com/coronavirus for information about the new coronavirus in Maryland or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus disease situation summary for additional information and resources.