Coronavirus: George Mason Student Tests Negative For Disease

FAIRFAX, VA — A student at George Mason University has tested negative for the new coronavirus, a second northern Virginia patient is awaiting test results, the Virginia Department of Health said on Friday. The novel coronavirus infection originated last month in Wuhan, China. There are currently seven people in the United States who have tested positive for the virus; on Thursday the World Health Organization declared coronavirus an international public health emergency.

The George Mason student does not live on campus and is "self-isolating," the university said in a statement. The student had recently traveled to China.

State officials said results from tests performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta showed the student does not have the infection. "At this time, Virginia continues to have no confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV," the state health department said.

Two people in central Virginia were tested for the new virus and did not have it, but a third person in that part of the Commonwealth is now being tested by the Centers for Disease Control, state health officials said Friday. In total, five people in Virginia have been tested for the new coronavirus; three have tested negative for the disease and two are awaiting test results.

Additional cleaning routines in public areas and communicable disease prevention planning continue throughout George Mason University, the college's health services said online.

"It is extremely important that anyone who suspects illness caused by a novel communicable disease, such as coronavirus, seek medical attention and disclose their travel history," uniersity officials said. "This information is vitally important in helping public health officials coordinate care for suspected cases and orchestrating a public health response to protect our community."

The first case of human-to-human coronavirus transmission in the United States — affecting a patient in Illinois — was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ABC News reports that the person-to-person spread of the disease in the U.S. prompted WHO officials to issue the international alert.

The death toll in China from the virus has risen to at least 210, with about 9,856 cases of the disease confirmed in more than a dozen countries, CNN reported Friday night. The seven U.S. cases had been confirmed in Illinois, Washington state, Arizona, and California; three of the patients are in California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory urging Americans to avoid nonessential travel to China due to the spread of the virus.

The new virus is called 2019-nCoV by disease experts.

"VDH is closely monitoring and investigating reports of illness potentially associated with novel coronavirus," according to the department's website. "A Person Under Investigation (PUI) is an individual who meets both clinical and epidemiologic criteria for 2019-nCoV. The information gathered during this investigation helps public health determine if they have novel coronavirus, or if their symptoms may be caused by another respiratory pathogen.

Every Thursday the Virginia Department of Health will post the number of patients under investigation who meet criteria for 2019-nCoV testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the VDH novel coronavirus webpage. Specific details about these patients will not be provided.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, and trouble breathing, and can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.

Related: Flu Cases Spike, 442 VA Deaths Reported In 2019-20 Season

According to the CDC, coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses that cause illnesses both in humans and animals. In rare cases, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect people. The new virus is officially referred to as "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV."

While there is currently no vaccine for this novel coronavirus, you can take preventative actions every day to help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses, including:

• 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 throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Clinicians in Virginia who see a patient who shows signs of the coronavirus should Obtain a detailed travel history for patients with fever and acute respiratory illness.

If a patient meets the criteria of a patient under investigation in association with the outbreak of the coronavirus:

• Ask the patient to wear a surgical mask.
• Evaluate the patient in a private room with the door closed, ideally in an airborne infection
• isolation room if available.
• Use standard, contact and airborne precautions, and eye protection (e.g., goggles or face
• shield).
• Immediately notify infection control personnel and your local health department.

At this time, only the CDC laboratories in Atlanta have the capabilities to test for the coronavirus, though it is expected that state public health laboratories will be able to test soon.

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.

RELATED: What Is A Novel Coronavirus? Health Officials Explain