Chinese Exchange Student In Philadelphia Cleared Of Coronavirus

PHILADELPHIA — A student at a Philadelphia private school who was suspected of being infected with the deadly coronavirus does not have the illness, school and health officials confirmed Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health told William Penn Charter School Tuesday morning that a Chinese exchange student who fell ill last week does not have coronavirus.

Health officials told the school the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention test was negative, according to health officials.

The student was one of 18 students who arrived at the school last week, with three chaperones, for a two-week exchange.

As a result of the health scare, the school announced to parents on Monday night that it would end its two-week China exchange program because of concerns and reactions to the possibility that one of the exchange students was being tested for coronavirus.

The student has been in isolation with a chaperone and has been feeling consistently better

"We regret that this program has been complicated, and now terminated, because of events that were beyond the control of the people who were excited for all the learning that this cultural exchange had promised," Head of School Darryl J. Ford wrote in an email to parents Monday night.

The school said not only did the scare cause anxiety in parents and students, it led to a significant increase in absenteeism which caused disruption to the educational program.

Other impacts from the coronavirus scare include schools canceling athletic events with Penn Charter teams, a public school bus driver attempted to deny transportation to Penn Charter students, and a medical professional cancelled an appointment with a Penn Charter student.

Test results were delivered to the school as the exchange students were boarding a bus that would take them to New York after breakfast and goodbyes with their host families; they planned to overnight there and hopefully fly home to China the next day.

In addition to the Penn Charter community, the school considered the well-being of the exchange students visitors. The exchange students' main concerns are whether their families are in good health and whether they will be able to return to China, the school said. However, the anxiety about coronavirus raised concerns about whether they felt welcome.

"This is not the experience we wanted for them," Ford said.

Because the virus is so new, doctors and scientists are still working to develop a full picture of how it behaves.

Here are some answers from Dr. Jeff Duchin, a health officer for King County Public Health in Washington, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

What is a coronavirus?

According to the CDC, coronaviruses are part of a large family of viruses that cause illnesses both in humans and animals. In rare cases, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect people. The new virus is officially referred to as "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV."

How does this new virus spread?

Researchers around the globe are still determining precisely how the virus spreads. Many patients in the Wuhan outbreak had visited a large seafood and animal market, but a growing number of patients have no connection. The CDC said that indicates limited person-to-person transmission is possible — but it remains unknown how easily it spreads among people.

How severe are the symptoms?

Most coronaviruses cause mild respiratory illnesses, similar to the common cold, and a fever. Some can be more severe, such as SARS and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome). Researchers do not know how long symptoms appear after an initial exposure. The man diagnosed in Washington checked in to a health clinic with a fever and a cough.

From Duchin:

"As with any newly emerging infectious disease, knowledge evolves with time. Early on, it is difficult to know the source of the disease, how effectively it spreads from person to person, and the spectrum of illness — how severe the infection is. These questions are answered over time as investigations provide accurate information. According to reports, most of the hundreds of people who have been infected have not had serious illness, although there have been several deaths."

Is there a vaccine?

According to Public Health, there is no vaccine for this virus or other coronaviruses, but scientists at the National Institute of Health have said they will work toward developing one.

Is there cause for concern?

Health officials continue to say overall risk to the general public is low and a lack of evidence that it easily spreads. "In addition, even in China there have been relatively few cases identified to-date relative to the size of the population," Duchin said.

Did the Snohomish County man potentially expose others at Sea-Tac Airport?

Since he did not show symptoms until the day after returning to the United States, health officials said it was less likely the man transmitted the virus to anyone else at the airport. The CDC is still working to evaluate any areas of concern.

What is being done in Washington — and nationally — to prevent the virus from spreading?

The CDC sent dozens of staff members to screen passengers arriving from China at three major airports in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco this weekend. More teams will be sent to two other airports, in Atlanta and Chicago. All flights originating from Wuhan, China, will be required to pass through one of those five airports.

Health agencies are also distributing information to hospitals and clinics throughout the region to make sure all are equipped to detect further infections as quickly as possible. The CDC is working with state and local health agencies to screen every person the Washington patient may have come in contact with, including medical staff and other patients.

When should someone seek medical treatment — and how?

"If you’ve traveled from the Wuhan area of China and feel sick with fever, cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider before going to get care and tell them about your symptoms and travel," Duchin said. "They can provide you instructions for seeking care so that you do not expose others."

You can find international travel notices and updated information on the new virus on the CDC website.