OXFORD, Ohio — Miami University (Ohio) postponed two upcoming basketball games against two Michigan teams due to the possibility of the coronavirus on its campus, according to the university's president Dr. Gregory P. Crawford.
The men's basketball game against Central Michigan University (CMU) and the women's basketball game against Western Michigan University (WMU) are the games that are affected by the decision. The two games were originally scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 28 and Wednesday, Jan. 29 respectively.
The decision was made by the athletic directors of Miami University, CMU and WMU, according to Crawford.
A new time for the games has not yet been released. However, the university will update its website when the games are rescheduled.
This decision comes after two Miami University students traveled to China and one came back to the Oxford campus with signs of the respiratory disease, said the Director of Health for the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, MD, MPH in a press conference. The outbreak first started in Wuhan, China, however, health and school officials did not release where in China the two students traveled to.
Dr. Acton said the two students are being held in isolation but are comfortable. Ohio health officials sent both their respiratory and blood samples to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for testing as a precaution, even though only one is showing symptoms of illness.
The symptoms mimic the common cold and flu and are fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the CDC.
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The test results are expected to be back by the end of the week. In the meantime, Dr. Acton is urging Miami University students to take precautions against the illness such as washing their hands. However, she said she doesn't want to promote fear.
"You're much more likely to get the flu or another cold right now (than the coronavirus)," she said.
There have been no confirmed cases of the virus in Ohio. To date, five U.S. cases have tested positive out of 110 U.S. cases sent to the CDC for testing.
The test results from two cases in California, one case in Washington, one case in Arizona and one case in Illinois have come back positive for the disease.
One case out of Washtenaw County, Michigan is still being tested by the CDC.