USC dorm resident diagnosed with coronavirus, school says. Group of students quarantined
A student at the University of South Carolina who lives in a dorm was diagnosed with the coronavirus and is now quarantined along with a group of other students, according to the university.
University leaders learned Friday night that the student had tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
The state’s Department of Health and Environment Control placed the student and 17 others, who live in a dorm at the school’s main campus in Columbia, under quarantine as health officials investigate and take preventive measures, USC spokesperson Jeff Stensland said in a statement issued Saturday morning.
“Others who may have come into close contact with the individual who tested positive are being notified by health officials,” Stensland’s statement said.
The university is providing the quarantined students with meals and assisting them with their health and academic needs.
The students had special permission to remain on campus as the university shut down to stymie the spread of the virus. USC did not specify which dorm the student lived in.
As demonstrated in a Washington nursing home and suggested by the CDC, confined spaces with large numbers of people can catalyze spread if that space is exposed to the virus.
USC announced Thursday that it would shift all its classes online for the rest of the spring semester and postpone commencement. In addition, all university sporting events have been canceled through the end of the year, the SEC announced earlier this week.
As of Friday, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has announced that 125 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and three of the state’s residents have died. Kershaw County is at the epicenter of the outbreak with 36 known cases. Richland County has the second most cases with 22. Eleven University of South Carolina students and a professor as well as a seven-month-old also have contracted the virus.
Those 11 students all reside in other states or off-campus, Stensland said.
The latest student’s positive test for the virus would bring the total to 126 cases in South Carolina with 12 USC students testing positive.
“Those in our Gamecock community directly impacted by this unprecedented public health crisis will likely grow in coming days and weeks,” the school’s statement said. “The university does not intend to publicly announce each additional case, but it’s vital that we help reinforce the message that no one is immune to COVID-19 and that we all must do our part to slow the spread of the virus.”
Greg Hadley contributed to this story.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 11:19 AM.