A new ‘presumptive positive’ case for the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, in San Mateo County involves a patient who wasn’t exposed to the virus by travel or other known sources, the County said.
The patient, described only as an adult resident of San Mateo, has been hospitalized and is in isolation while health officials await confirmatory testing by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This marks the second coronavirus case in San Mateo County, health officials said. The previous case is an individual who was repatriated to the U.S. by the CDC. That patient is currently in isolation and in good condition, the County said.
Both cases are among dozens reported nationally as the virus that originated in China spreads within the U.S. Today, the CDC reported 91 confirmed or presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., up from just over 60 cases yesterday. Six people in the U.S. have died from the illness, including four people in Washington state, according to USA Today. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) today reported about 90,000 confirmed cases, of which 90 percent are in China, and over 3,000 deaths. The outbreak originated in Wuhan, China as early as December. While the virus is spreading internationally, the number of cases reported in China is on the decline, WHO stated.
Today, San Mateo County activated its Regional Operations Center in Redwood City, providing a centralized location to coordinate resources and communicate with local and state governments.
San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow urged community members to take preventative measures “including washing your hands frequently, covering your sneeze, and staying home when sick.”
“Also, please dust off your personal emergency plans to make sure you have proper provisions at your home including water, medications, and food,” Dr. Morrow said.
The CDC’s guidance indicates having casual contact with a case, such as being in the same shop or restaurant, puts people at minimal risk of developing infection, and that current risk of local transmission remains relatively low. But “the landscape is likely to change rapidly in the coming days, weeks and months,” County officials said.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. They appear in as few as 2 days or up to 14 days after exposure.For general information about novel coronavirus, visit www.cdc.gov or https://www.smchealth.org/coronavirus.
