Clemson’s possible COVID-19 patient tests negative for virus, university says

Clemson University shared good news Wednesday when it said the possible coronavirus case it was monitoring came back negative.

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Clemson, and the university said it is not monitoring any other reports of possible coronavirus patients.

The university also reported no decision has been made on moving classes to a virtual setting online, rather than in campus buildings and lecture halls.

“While students have been informed to prepare for the possibility of class instruction moving online at some point in the semester, there have been no decisions made at this time,” Clemson officials said.

Campus continues to remain open and there are no plans to change that, even if classes are held online, the university said.

Unlike the University of South Carolina, located in Columbia, Clemson said it has no plans to extend spring break.

USC’s spring break will now run through March 22, and no classes will be held during that time, university officials said.

The person that was being monitored as a possible coronavirus patient was not a student, Clemson officials said. That person was not hospitalized, and is in self-quarantine at their off-campus residence, according to Clemson.

In spite of the negative test, the university said it continues to closely monitor COVID-19, and officials are meeting regularly in an attempt to “reduce the risk to faculty, staff, students and visitors from the virus.”

Although there are currently no confirmed coronavirus cases in Clemson, the university said it has issued a warning about travel advisories to students, faculty, and staff on spring break.

“All students, faculty and staff returning from international travel must contact Redfern Health Center (864-656-2457) to begin the screening process prior to return to campus,” the university said in a news release.

Beyond that, there are no changes to “operations at any Clemson campus or location around the state,” and they remain open, according to the release.

Of the nine presumptive positive coronavirus cases in South Carolina, two of them have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — one in Camden, and one in Charleston, state officials said. The others have been tested by DHEC and are awaiting confirmation by the CDC.

Both of those who have confirmed cases of coronavirus are “stable,” state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said.

Only one of South Carolina’s presumed positive tests has been in the Upstate.

That is in Spartanburg County, where a man recently returned from a trip to Italy and began experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, DHEC said Sunday.

That man, an employee at the Spartanburg County branch of an international company that produces self-adhesive material, is not hospitalized and is currently isolated at home, according to DHEC.

Seven of the nine cases reported in South Carolina are in Kershaw County.

“We now have evidence of community spread that’s likely to be causing these initial cases in Camden in Kershaw County and the risk of spread to other communities is possible, as seen in other states across the country,” Bell said. “We are working with the CDC and state and local officials to limit community spread while continuing with our protocol for identifying travel-related cases in the state.”

As of Wednesday morning, 121,098 people worldwide have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 4,366 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, 1,039 people have been diagnosed with the novel virus. Twenty-nine deaths have been reported, including 23 in Washington state, according to Johns Hopkins.

Symptoms of coronavirus vary from mild to severe and include coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath, according to the CDC.

The best way to prevent infection is to wash hands for 20 seconds; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; avoid contact with sick people and clean frequently touched objects with a cleaning spray or wipe, according to the CDC.

It does not matter whether the water is hot or cold, Bell said.

Prisma Health is offering free access to medical professionals for those who think they may have coronavirus, The State reported. People experiencing COVID-19 symptoms can go to https://www.prismahealth.org/virtual-visit/ and schedule a free online visit, Prisma officials said.

The U.S. Surgeon General has urged members of the public to avoid buying protective masks because they are ineffective at preventing coronavirus, and buying them saps vital resources for health officials who need them.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 12:07 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription