A student at Southwestern College recanted a story about a family member’s illness that led to speculation about Ebola and the closure of a building on the Chula Vista campus Thursday, school officials said.
After the student reported that a family member had been hospitalized with “flu-like symptoms,” a building was cordoned off, according to a post on the college’s Facebook post stated.
Campus officials told KTLA sister-station Fox 5 San Diego that the student had reported feeling ill. However, a statement from the college clarified that the the student was not exhibiting flu-like symptoms, and that her sister was the one who was sick.
“The student contacted the instructor to inform the instructor why the student had not been in class,” the statement read. “In an abundance of caution by some staff members, the 470 building was cordoned off.”
About 50 students were quarantined inside the building while an investigation was conducted, the college’s police chief said at a news conference.
The student and her family had recently traveled to the Midwest last week.
The college emphasized that there was no Ebola on campus, according to the official statement.
“Our campus nurse has thoroughly examined the student and there is no expectation of Ebola,” the statement read.
Later, the college stated on Twitter that the student had repudiated her story.
“No Ebola, no infectious disease. Student has recanted story,” read the tweet, sent at 2:53 p.m.
Initially, the college’s Facebook page said the San Diego County Department of Health was called in to “assess the situation.” However, the college later clarified that the information was incorrect.
No Ebola, no infectious disease. Student has recanted story.
— Southwestern College (@swc_news) October 16, 2014
KTLA’s Melissa Pamer contributed to this article.
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