Starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, McKinley Health Center will start screening students who come in for any respiratory illnesses due to the coronavirus infection that recently made its way to the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus was first identified in China and resulted in about 300 confirmed cases. From these cases, nine resulted in death. The first case in the U.S. was reported on Tuesday in Seattle, Washington.

The coronavirus infection can be spread through coughing and sneezing of an infected person, and McKinley is advising the use of surgical mask as a precautionary measure.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, area hospitals and McKinley Health Center are working closely together to ensure safety around campus and the community, according to the McKinley press release.

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