Montville — A student at Saint Bernard School in Montville was admitted to the William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich on Monday to check if he had contracted the coronavirus.

School Headmaster Don Macrino said the student was cleared by doctors Tuesday and an automated call notified parents that the student does not have the virus.

Sometimes called the "Wuhan coronavirus," referring to the city in China where it reportedly originated, the virus causes respiratory issues such as a cough or sore throat, ranging from minor to serious, among other symptoms, including headache, fever and runny nose.

The Saint Bernard student went to China for winter break and returned to Connecticut on Jan. 6. He was back to school on Jan. 13.

On Monday, the student went to the school nurse with a bad cough. After the nurse learned the student is from Wuhan, she spoke with Macrino. The school then consulted Doctor Jerzy Stocki, the medical adviser for Montville schools, who said the student should be seen at an emergency room.

At that time, Macrino sent out an automated call and email to parents informing them of the situation.

"He did not present all of the symptoms, just a dry cough," Macrino said on Wednesday. "Erring on the side of caution, they did some testing, and he was found not to be infected with the virus. He was discharged yesterday afternoon and was cleared to return to school."

In response to the coronavirus scare, Saint Bernard has instituted a policy: The school will not be accepting visitors from infected areas, or students who travel to such areas over breaks, on school grounds until the outbreak is over.

"If it's determined that they're from any area in any country that's impacted, and we think there's a risk, we would simply ask they not visit the school," Macrino said. "We were probably extra cautious with this student, but we're in a building with 350 kids, and I can't take any chances."

In response to the coronavirus, Connecticut College has brought home students from China.

"We worked with a small number of students who were studying in China, they have safely returned to the United States," Tiffany Thiele, spokesperson for Connecticut College, wrote in an email. "As of this time, we currently do not have any students studying in China or planning to study there in the near term."

Thiele also wrote that at this time, "there is no threat" related to the coronavirus to the Conn College community.

The college has a page on its website with general information about the virus. If people have a cough or fever and recently have been to China or have been exposed to a person with known coronavirus, they are advised to receive medical attention at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London or Pequot Health Center in Groton, the webpage says.

Ledge Light Health District's Director of Health Stephen Mansfield sent a note to municipal leaders and school districts in the area that the agency covers, containing basic information about the coronavirus. In it, he says Ledge Light will be participating in weekly conference calls with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

"To date, there are no patients under investigation for (coronavirus) in New London County," the letter reads. "110 people from 26 states are currently under investigation. 5 have confirmed positive and 32 confirmed negative."

While Mansfield wouldn't comment on the specific case at Saint Bernard, he said to be considered under investigation, the decision to test an individual for coronavirus is made by a physician in consultation with the state public health department and CDC. The CDC currently recommends no non-essential travel to the Wuhan province.

The letter from Mansfield advised taking the same precautions people take to avoid the common cold: Wash your hands, avoid contact with people who are sick, cover your cough or sneeze, etc.

Superintendents of other area schools have said they are following the health district's guidance.

The World Health Organization is assembling its emergency committee for a meeting Thursday to decide whether the coronavirus outbreak constitutes an international public health emergency, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

So far, there are more than 6,000 confirmed cases of the virus in China. There is currently no vaccine.

s.spinella@theday.com