Page 2 - aruba-today-20200229

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 29 February 2020
Agency: 2nd U.S. case of person who got virus from community

Continued from Front base when the ship was dition worsened and she
docked in Japan. The case was transferred to the
Health officials in San Jose of the infected woman medical center.
said the patient was an marks an escalation of the Confusion over how quickly
older adult woman with worldwide outbreak in the the woman was tested for
chronic health condi- U.S. because it means the coronavirus concerned
tions who does not have a virus could spread beyond McKinsey Paz, who works
travel history or any known the reach of preventative at a private security firm
contact with a traveler or measures like quarantines, in Vacaville. The company
infected person. It comes though state health of- has already stockpiled 450
a day after state officials ficials said that was inevi- face masks and is scram-
said a woman hospitalized table and that the risk of bling for more "since they're
at UC Davis Health Center widespread transmission hard to come by." The
in Sacramento had con- remains low. company's owner bought
tracted the illness after no California public health of- enough cleaning and dis-
known contact. Eugenia Kendall, right, wears a mask outside of the Vacaville ficials on Friday said 8,700 infectant supplies to both
"This new case indicates City Hall while standing with her husband, Ivan, Thursday, Feb. people are self-monitor- scrub down the office and
that there is evidence of 27, 2020, in Vacaville, Calif. ing after arriving on com- send home with employ-
community transmission, Associated Press mercial flights from China ees. But they appeared to
but the extent is still not through Los Angeles and be at the extreme for prep-
clear," said Dr. Sara Cody, — but less than 100 — who internationally or come in San Francisco. That's up arations.
Health Officer for Santa had close contact with the close contact with anyone from the 8,400 that Gov. Eugenia Kendall was wear-
Clara County and Direc- case announced Thursday. who had it. Gavin Newsom cited on ing a face mask, but in fear
tor of the County of Santa They are quarantined in Santa Clara County Public Thursday, though officials of anything including the
Clara Public Health De- their homes. and a few who Health Department spokes- said the number increases common cold. Her immune
partment. have shown symptoms are man Maury Kendall said daily as more flights arrive. system is impaired because
Cody said the woman is in isolation, officials said. the person is isolated at Solano County Public she is undergoing chemo-
not linked to two previous ________ home and that other de- Health Officer Dr. Bela Mat- therapy, and she has long
cases in Santa Clara Coun- Health officials on Friday tails would be provided yas said public health offi- been taking such precau-
ty or others in the state. confirmed another case later Friday. cials have identified dozens tions.
The Santa Clara County of the novel coronavirus in A day earlier, state health of people — but less than "We're not paranoid. We're
resident was treated at a Northern California, raising officials had pegged the 100 — who had close con- just trying to be practical,"
local hospital and is not the tally a day after health number of people in Cali- tact with the woman there. said her husband of 31
known to have traveled officials revealed the first fornia with the virus at They are quarantined in years, Ivan Kendall. "We
to Solano County, where case in the U.S. believed to 33 after investigators an- their homes and a few who wipe the shopping carts if
public health officials have have been transmitted to nounced that a woman have shown symptoms are they have them, and when
identified dozens of people a person who didn't travel hospitalized in Sacramento in isolation, Matyas said. I get back in the car I wipe
contracted it. Officials are not too wor- my hands — and just hope
Residents of the community ried, for now, about casual for the best."
where the woman first went contact, because federal In their investigation of the
to the hospital, in Vacav- officials think the corona- movements of the hospital-
ille, are at the epicenter of virus is spread only through ized woman, officials were
what officials are calling a "close contact, being with- trying to figure out how she
turning point in the spread in six feet of somebody got it and who else she may
of the highly contagious for what they're calling a have unwittingly infected.
coronavirus, prolonged period of time," They are interviewing im-
As infectious disease ex- said Dr. James Watt, interim mediate family members
perts fanned out in Vacav- state epidemiologist at the and expanding their net
ille, some residents in the California Department of to include more distant
city of 100,000 stocked Public Health. family members who may
up on supplies amid fears The virus can cause fever, have been in contact, so-
things could get worse de- coughing, wheezing and cial gatherings like church
spite official reassurances, pneumonia. Health officials that the patient may have
while others took the news think it spreads mainly from attended and any possi-
in stride. droplets when an infected ble time spent at work or
Vacaville lies between San person coughs or sneez- events like a concert.
Francisco and Sacramento es, similar to how the flu Besides the woman, all the
in Solano County, in the ag- spreads. 59 other cases in the U.S.
ricultural central valley and "I'm definitely going to wear have been for people who
near California's famous my mask and gloves at traveled abroad or had
wine region. work, because I'm a server," close contact with others
It is about 10 miles (16 kilom- said Vacaville bowling al- who traveled.
eters) from Travis Air Force ley worker Denise Arriaga, Earlier U.S. cases included
Base, which has been used who said she doesn't care if 14 in people who returned
as a virus quarantine lo- she's criticized for the extra from outbreak areas in Chi-
cation. Public health offi- precautions. na, or their spouses; three
cials said they can find no "At the end of the day, it's people who were evacu-
connection between the my life," she said. ated from the central
infected woman and pas- The woman first sought China city of Wuhan; and
sengers on the Diamond treatment at NorthBay 42 American passengers
Princess cruise ship who VacaValley Hospital in on the Diamond Princess
were evacuated to the Vacaville, before her con- cruise ship.q