VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — More than a dozen Regent University students and faculty are self-quarantining after attending conferences where people infected by the novel coronavirus were present.
The World Health Organization officially deemed coronavirus, or COVID-19, a pandemic on Wednesday. The disease causes a respiratory infection and sometimes death. There are about 1,000 confirmed cases of COVID in the United States, with nine in Virginia.
Ten Regent University students attended a conference where one person tested positive for COVID-19. That person was not a Regent University student, and there is no evidence that the students came into contact with the infected attendee.
The Regent University students are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, but are self-quarantining for 14 days out of caution, according to a university news release.
Another Regent University student and a faculty member also attended a different conference where two other attendees tested positive for COVID-19. The infected conference attendees do not go to Regent University. The faculty member came back to campus after the conference with an “external colleague” who also attended the event. Although there’s no evidence that anyone affiliated with Regent University came into contact with the infected conference attendees, they are also self-quarantining for 14 days, along with other faculty and staff who engaged with them after the conference, according to the university.
There have been no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 linked to students or staff at Regent University. The university is cleaning and sanitizing its campus, and will operate as normal. Officials are monitoring COVID-19 and may consider other steps as needed.
Regent’s announcement comes the same day at the University of Virginia announced it would move all of its classes online between March 19 and April 5 in an effort to control the spread of COIVD-19.