Philadelphia private school investigating possible coronavirus case: report

Deadly coronavirus

A policeman wearing a face mask takes a tourist's temperature at the Qinhuai scenic zone in Nanjing in eastern China's Jiangsu province, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. The virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, already on lockdown, banned most vehicle use downtown and Hong Kong said it would close schools for two weeks as authorities scrambled Saturday to stop the spread of an illness that is known to have infected more than 1,200 people and killed 41, according to officials. (Chinatopix via AP)AP

A Philadephia private school says one visiting student has been tested for the coronavirus, but the school does not believe the student is in danger, according to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The respiratory illness has been rampant across China, killing 80 people so far but has not killed anyone in the U.S. so far.

A spokeswoman for the William Penn Charter School told the Inquirer that the sick student was a member of a group of 18 high school students and three adults that came from China to visit the school. The group had a connecting flight in Wuhan City, which is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

At this time, health officials said the group’s time in the city was limited, and it’s more likely that another virus caused the student’s symptoms, the Inquirer reported.

The student has been in the states since January 21 and will return to China on Feb. 4, the Inquirer reported.

A representative for the school told the Inquirer that the student’s symptoms have already improved since last week. Test results could arrive this week.

The symptoms of the coronavirus include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, according to health officials. Shortness of breath, chills and body aches are considered symptoms of a more dangerous kind of coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said. The virus can cause pneumonia in some cases.

The symptoms are treated with pain and fever medication, plenty of liquids and rest, according to the CDC.

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