Colleges in the Hudson Valley and across the country are making sure students and staff are protected from the coronavirus.

The action comes as the virus was spread from human to human in the U.S. for the first time.

Health officials say the patient is married to a Chicago woman who got sick after visiting China.

Pace University confirms there are no known cases of the coronavirus, but it sent out an email urging students and staff to know the symptoms and preventative tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"With hands, this is how it spreads most commonly, so keeping your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes is very important,” says Elizabeth Berro, clinical instructor at Pace.

Berro recommends staff and students -- especially nursing students -- to stay home if they don't feel well.

"As a university, the faculty and administration are all saying hey we will work with you to make sure that you can stay up with your classes and your schoolwork and create that communication in some other way than face to face if that can't be done,” she says.

As many schools across the country grapple with how to prevent an outbreak, Pace University is keeping a very close eye on its community. The school says there are no students studying in China. A faculty-led trip to China in March has been canceled as a precautionary measure.
The school's website also lists study-abroad programs to Hong Kong as suspended.