Possible Wuhan Coronavirus Cases Identified In Ohio

OXFORD, OH — A Miami University student and their traveling companion may have contracted the Wuhan coronavirus and are being quarantined and tested for it, authorities said Tuesday.

Miami University announced the student's quarantine on Tuesday morning. University officials said the student had been travelling in China and has "very mild symptoms." However, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) must be made immediately aware of any possible cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, sometimes also called the new or novel coronavirus.

The student and their companion have been isolated off-campus. Their Wuhan coronavirus tests have been forwarded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), officials said, and the two will remain isolated until the test results are returned.

"Miami and health care professionals continue to communicate and collaborate daily with the Butler County Health District and the Ohio Department of Health and are following their recommendations and protocols," university officials said in a statement. "We will share information with the community as it becomes available."

The university said it is supporting both persons as they wait for their test results. Campus officials are also working with the ODH and other health officials to quickly determine what protocols should be followed.

"Miami Health Services and Student Life professionals acted quickly with appropriate protocol, and we will continue to follow the best practices currently known," campus officials said in a statement. "We have proactive partners in local and state health care. We will post updated information on myMiami as it becomes available. Please check announcements there regularly."

There have been five confirmed cases of Wuhan coronavirus in the U.S. — two in California, one in Illinois, one in Washington and one in Arizona. All five of the U.S. residents who have been sickened have traveled to Wuhan, China, according to the CDC.

Last week, the ODH classified the Wuhan coronavirus as a Class A risk, meaning any possible cases of the virus must be communicated immediately to health officials. The CDC has said the Wuhan coronavirus is a low-risk threat to the American public.

"This situation is at the heart of public health," Dr. Amy Acton, ODH director, said in a statement. "We are working proactively with health care providers and local health districts/partners to identify and appropriately address emerging threats like novel coronavirus."

What is Coronavirus?

The Wuhan coronavirus is part of a large family of viruses, according to the ODH. Coronaviruses can either infect humans or animals, and in rare cases viruses that start in animals can evolve and begin affecting humans.

Coronaviruses are responsible for illnesses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

The sicknesses can cause mild to severe respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of breath and fever.

In December 2019, in Wuhan City, in the Hubei Province of China, Chinese authorities began dealing with a spreading sickness. As the illness raged, 25 people died and more than 830 people became ill. The illness was eventually identified as 2019-nCoV, also called the Wuhan Coronavirus.

What Is A Novel Coronavirus? Health Officials Explain

Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Many patients in the Wuhan outbreak had visited a large seafood and animal market, but a growing number of patients have no connection. The CDC said that indicates limited person-to-person transmission is possible — but it remains unknown how easily it spreads among people. Illnesses have been confirmed outside of China in Thailand, Japan and South Korea, as well as five cases in the United States.

The best ways to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses are to:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Someone should stay home and call a doctor right away if they recently traveled to Wuhan, China, and have developed fever with cough or shortness of breath within 14 days of travel, or if they have had contact with someone who is suspected of having the Wuhan Coronavirus, health officials said.