College campuses on edge due to coronavirus outbreak
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Students and staff on college campuses across the country are on edge as rumors swirl surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, The New York Times reports.
Why it matters: University campuses can be breeding grounds for infectious and viral diseases. Illnesses can also spread quickly considering the close proximity in which students reside.
The state of play:
- Two undergraduate students from Wuhan, China at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville were moved into a special dorm room and told to frequently take their temperatures.
- A student-organized petition to cancel classes is circulating at Arizona State University after a confirmed case of the virus struck the campus.
- Basketball games at Miami University in Ohio were postponed after two students reportedly showed possible symptoms.
- Boston University postponed its study abroad program to Shanghai scheduled to depart in February.
Yes, but: Some students of Asian descent told the Times they've seen an uptick in xenophobic claims following the outbreak.
- Some students have reportedly posted online that they are avoiding their Asian classmates.
The bottom line: "[C]ampus health officials are taking on two challenges: informing the public about the virus while managing exaggerated fears, and continuing to handle the flu viruses that typically spread this time of year," the Times writes.
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