The student is identified as a commuter who lives outside of Chester County and does not live on campus.
Nancy Santos Gainer, the university’s vice president of communications, tells Action News the student is currently isolated and doing well.
Gainer said once the university found out they began working with local health departments to see if anyone in Chester County had been exposed.
There are no reports of close contact with the student at this time, Gainer said. There have also been no other reports of monkeypox at the university.
Students told Action News they received an email from the university that a student taking summer classes had tested positive for monkey pox.
According to medical experts, monkeypox virus usually starts with general symptoms of the virus like headache, fever, pain and fatigue. But then this can increase and some may break out in rashes, or smallpox marks as they are known, all over their body.
It is usually spread through respiratory droplets, usually after prolonged contact, and other body fluids or other forms of close contact.
“We want people to know that coming into close close contact with someone with monkeypox. It’s not easily transmitted,” Gainer explained.
It is not yet clear if the student came into contact with anyone outside of Chester County.
If that’s the case, Gainer said other county health departments would call anyone exposed.
At this point it remains unknown where the student contracted monkeypox.
West Chester University released this statement to Action News:
“West Chester University health officials received confirmation last weekend that a student passenger tested positive for monkeypox. The student is currently in isolation and doing well. According to the health department’s investigative efforts on the case , the University has been advised that there are no close contacts in Chester County. There have been no other reports to the University and, according to the CDC and PA Department of Health, the risk of monkeypox infection remains extremely low.”
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