2 Univ, of Delaware students screened for coronavirus

2 University of Delaware students are being screened for coronavirus

The university is giving few details, except that the students didn't live on campus.

And they are hospitalized, in isolation as a precaution, until test results come back.

Also today, the World Health Organization has chosen COVID-19 as the new name for the disease.

COVID is short for coronavirus disease.

The WHO says it has no references to places, animals, or people so that there won't be any stigma.

In the U-S, the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, are due to be released from quarantine at a southern California military base today.

They've been there for nearly 2 weeks.

None developed any symptoms of the virus.

However, one of those quarantined at a different base, near San Diego, has tested positive.

That evacuee had been hospitalized for symptoms, but was accidentally released Saturday, when a test seemed to read negative.

A top Chinese health official predicted today the outbreak would peak soon, and end this spring.

However, Dr. Anne Schuchat, a top official at the CDC, says no one should write off coronavirus yet.

"This outbreak is is spreading much more quickly than SARS did. We could see from the pace by which the virus was imported into many other countries, more than two dozen right now that this virus seems to be more transmissible than SARS," said Dr. Schuchat during a live briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Although new cases outside the Wuhan area have slowed, today was the deadliest day yet in China, with 108 deaths.

That confirmed patient in San Diego is back in the hospital, in isolation.

Meantime, Japanese health authorities have decided to let elderly passengers, and those with chronic diseases, off the cruise ship docked near Tokyo.

But they'll have to stay in quarantine until February 19th.