GREENVILLE, N.C. — Some East Carolina University students are in quarantine after returning from a study abroad program in Tuscany, Italy, Wednesday, WCTI reported.
Sophomore Maggie Baile is one of 37 students and faculty who were brought back to America due to the spread of the coronavirus in Italy. They are all under quarantine in their homes for 14 days.
Baile said via Facetime this was something she never could have imagined when she decided to study abroad.
“We’re alone, I mean, we are having to go through this by ourselves," she said. "We’re quarantined from the rest of it; it’s scary to think we could have this virus and not know about it.”
She said the university continued to monitor the virus, but when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel warning, they made the call to send the students home.
Baile said when they flew home, officials in Rome screened her by asking her questions and taking her temperature, but when she arrived in the United States, she wasn’t screened.
“A large part of that airplane was full of students from different parts of Italy being sent back to America, but I know that it did raise some concerns to us that we weren’t screened again,” she said. “I mean, I know that my trip -- I think that we were very safe, and we were in a very secluded part of Italy away from people -- but I’m sure that it does raise some concerns that we weren’t screened again.”
She said although her program wasn’t near those infected in Italy, coming home and being quarantined was still scary.
Officials with the university said they are giving students a refund for expenses and are planning to have the students finish their semester online.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:
- Man who murdered NoDa sandwich shop co-owner stole $100 from him, warrants say
- Charlotte events cancel, make changes due to coronavirus concerns
- Pair arrested after worker shot during robbery at popular Charlotte restaurant
- FORECAST: Snow in mountains, blustery winds in metro ahead of sunny, dry weekend
- 'It hit home hard’: Anti-violence advocate’s son killed in Charlotte shooting
© 2020 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
