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A Tennessee Tech student continues to undergo testing for a potential case of the coronavirus.
The student visited health officials Thursday with mild symptoms of the 2019-nCoV. “With his recent travel history, (he) met the criteria for testing for possible infection with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV),” according to a statement released Thursday evening.
Testing for the coronavirus continues in collaboration with the Centers For Disease Control. Tennessee Tech and Cookeville Regional Medical Center are also collaborating with the Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
City and county leaders received a briefing from Cookeville Regional officials Thursday night. The virus has spread to nearly 700 people in three Chinese cities. The death toll currently stands at 25.
The Tennessee Department of Health advises that while we await test results, there are no specific actions other individuals need to take. As soon as more information about the situation becomes available it will be made public.
If confirmed, this would represent the third case of the coronavirus in the United States. A Seattle man who recently travelled to China has been treated and will soon be released, according to reports. A Texas A&M student reported his symptoms to local health officials and is awaiting word from the CDC on his actual diagnosis in the next few days.
The coronavirus actually represents a wide range of viruses from the common cold to SARS, which killed more than 800 people worldwide in the early part of this century. The new strain, called 2019-nCoV, first came to light in late December. It shows up through pneumonia-like symptoms that affect the lungs.
