Princeton U. Students To 'Self Isolate' Over Fears Of Coronavirus

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton University has ordered students and staff who have returned from China to "self-isolate" over fears of the coronavirus.

Students and staff at the university who have returned from mainland China over the last 14 days, and prior to 5 p.m. on Sunday, are being asked to fill out a form which will determine their risk level from low to high, the University posted on Monday.

Students classified as "high" or "medium" risk are ordered to self-isolate and are not allowed to attend classes or school events.

Additionally, the university banned any school-sponsored travel to mainland China for faculty, staff, and students until further notice.

The University's announcement comes after the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) provided new guidance to colleges and universities.

"Guided by our commitment to ensure the health and safety of all members of the university community, we continue to respond to this situation based on the latest guidance from government and health officials. That guidance is evolving as more is learned about this virus and its transmission," the University stated.

While "coronavirus" is a general term referring to a certain type of respiratory illnesses, a new (or novel) version has proven deadly, having already killed 106 people in China and afflicted 4,500.

Recently, there was a possible case of the deadly virus in New Jersey, which turned out to be negative. (See Related: NJ Patient Tests Negative For Coronavirus)

Patients with confirmed coronavirus infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. The CDC believes that symptoms of nCoV may appear in as few as two days or as long as two weeks after exposure, according to a NJDOH release.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.