University Of Wisconsin-Platteville Students Screened For Coronavirus At O'Hare After Returning From Wuhan, China
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students passed through O'Hare International Airport after returning to the U.S. from Wuhan, China – and they were being watched Thursday night for coronavirus.
UW-Platteville said Thursday that six students arrived on campus Tuesday after traveling recently to Wuhan. Two of the six students live in Wuhan, the university said.
According to CBS affiliates in Milwaukee and Madison, UW-Platteville officials said the two Wuhan residents were screened at O'Hare.
None of the six students have shown signs of coronavirus infection, but their temperatures are being taken regularly as a precaution.
They are currently living together in one residence hall, but are not under quarantine or isolation, the university said.
The outbreak started in Wuhan, population 11 million. China has moved to lock down at least three major cities in an effort to contain the virus.
O'Hare this week officially started screening travelers arriving from China. Customs and Border Patrol added that the screening at O'Hare should be fully operational by Friday.
Meantime Thursday night, CBS 2's Charlie De Mar spoke to Ken Zurek, who lives in highland Indiana but was with his wife in China for the Lunar New Year.
He said there certainly has been an increase in people wearing facemasks, but he notices people going about their days as normal.
Even though Zurek is quite a distance from Central China where the virus is concentrated, he isn't taking any chances.
"We are wearing masks every time we go outside," he said by phone. "Every time we come back to the condo, we immediately remove our clothes and take a shower, because we have a six-month-old infant here."
A man in his 30s was being treated this week for the coronavirus at a hospital outside of Seattle.
His was the first diagnosed case of the virus in the U.S. and is the only one so far.
The symptoms of a coronavirus infection include fever, cough and trouble breathing. In extreme situations, the symptoms can also include kidney failure, pneumonia, and even death.
So far, there is no vaccine. As of Thursday, an estimated 830 had fallen ill, and 25 people had died in China.