Feb 1, 2020 - Health

College campuses on edge due to coronavirus outbreak

Photo: Muntz/Getty Images

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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Axios

U.S. schools prepare for coronavirus spread

Vice President Pence and HHS Secretary Alex Azar (left) tour virus operations center yesterday. Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP

Schools across the U.S. are canceling trips abroad, preparing online lessons and even rethinking "perfect attendance" awards as they brace for the possibility that the coronavirus spreads to their communities, AP's Collin Binkley reports.

Why it matters: If schools are forced to close for long stretches, it could have a heavy impact on students who rely on school meals and for parents who use their schools' child care programs.

Go deeperFeb 28, 2020 - Health

Marisa Fernandez

Taking coronavirus fears too far

Photo Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: NurPhoto/Getty Images

Fear and misinformation surrounding the coronavirus have prompted unwarranted discrimination against Chinese-Americans who have nothing to do with the epidemic.

What they're saying: "We’re already worried about [stigma] here in the U.S. and around the world, that somebody coming back from this community or that community may be treated differently ... and businesses in a certain neighborhood may be boycotted," Anne Schuchat, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday.

Go deeperFeb 12, 2020 - Health

Axios

World coronavirus updates: Recoveries exceed 300,000

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

China has lifted its lockdown of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus outbreak was first reported, as other governments around the world tighten restrictions to stop the spread. Global recoveries surpassed 300,000 on Tuesday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed over 82,000 people and infected 1.4 million others globally as of Tuesday, per Johns Hopkins data. Spain has reported the most cases outside the U.S. (more than 141,000) and Italy the most deaths (over 17,000) as half the planet's population is now on lockdown.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health