Texas A&M student does not have coronavirus, health officials say

“Texas A&M student does not have coronavirus, health officials say” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

_{*Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the latest information on the number of fatalities in China.}

A resident of Brazos County who was tested for coronavirus after returning to Texas from China is not afflicted with the same deadly strain that has killed dozens of people, health officials said Sunday.

“The Brazos County Health District has received the results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the suspected case of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus,” Sara Mendez, Brazos County Health District health promotion manager, said in a brief statement. “The results are negative for 2019-nCoV.”

The Texas A&M University student recently traveled to Wuhan, China, where the deadly virus originated, health officials said last week. A student at Baylor University in Waco is also being tested after traveling to China but health officials haven’t received those results, said Kelly Craine, a spokeswoman with the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District.

As of Sunday evening, 80 people who have contracted the illness have died, the New York Times reported. The deaths have been confined to China but health officials in several other countries have confirmed cases, including five in the United States.

The confirmed cases in the United States are in Arizona, California, Illinois and Washington state. More cases are expected but U.S. health officials said risk to the general public remains low, the New York Times reported.

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