CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia officials have set up a telephone hotline to answer questions about the coronavirus, according to a Monday news release.
Operators are available 24/7 and can be reached at 1-800-887-4304.
“Establishing the hotline provides access to experienced and knowledgeable staff who can answer questions West Virginia residents and providers may have,” said state health department commissioner Dr. Cathy Slemp.
State health officials said there are currently no confirmed coronavirus cases in West Virginia. As of Monday, West Virginia has tested five people for the virus, with two negative results and three tests pending, officials said.
Gov. Jim Justice said last week that the state can now conduct its own coronavirus tests, after previously having to submit tests to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Also on Monday, Marshall University announced it is extending a ban on university-sponsored international travel through at least April 30.
Students, faculty and staff who have plans to travel internationally outside of school sponsorship or to areas of the United States affected by the coronavirus should reconsider their plans. Those who do travel internationally must register with Marshall’s new travel registry, the university said in a news release.
In a separate news release, Marshall announced that out of “an abundance of caution,” a pop culture convention scheduled for Saturday at the campus student center in Huntington has been canceled, citing the coronavirus outbreak.
The school is arranging refunds for participating artists, vendors and sponsors.
The new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms for most people, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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