2nd Santa Clara County coronavirus case confirmed

Feb. 2, 2020, 11:14 p.m.

A second case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Santa Clara County, said Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) Director Sara Cody at a Sunday press conference. The second case is not related to the first.

Cody emphasized that while the County could see more cases, the risk to the general public continues to be low. 

Coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China and has since spread to infect 14,000 people in 23 countries, with over 300 deaths, leading some experts to say the disease could become a pandemic, according to The New York Times. The latest case is the ninth case confirmed in the United States and the third in California. 

The latest case confirmed in Santa Clara County is a woman who had traveled to Wuhan before arriving in the U.S. on Jan. 23 to visit family. Since arriving in California, she has left the house twice to seek medical care, and her family members have been quarantined, Cody said.

SCCPHD spokesperson Marianna Moles wrote in a statement to The Daily that she could not comment on whether anyone diagnosed with coronavirus had sought out testing or care for coronavirus at Stanford Hospital out of concern for medical privacy.

Cody said that the County could expect more cases. 

“A second case is not unexpected,” Cody said at the Sunday press conference.  “With our large population and the amount of travel to China for both personal and business reasons, we will likely see more cases, including close contacts to our cases.” 

‘Follow the usual hygiene practices,’ Vaden recommends

Stanford Environmental Health and Safety has asked members of the Stanford community who have recently travelled to or from China to self-isolate for 14 days. The University is also restricting travel to China. 

Stanford Medicine’s hospitals and clinics are continuing to update its policies and procedures, Stanford Medicine spokesperson Julie Greicius wrote in a statement to The Daily.

Stanford Medicine was making changes “not [due] to the number of cases confirmed, but to new guidelines from the County, State and Federal governments,” Grecius said.

Vaden Health Center Executive Director James Jacobs said the University is in contact with campus partners and peer institutions to determine best practices.

“The most evidence-based advice that we can offer students and the entire campus community is to follow the usual hygiene practices recommended to limit the spread of seasonal flu — good handwashing, cough and sneeze etiquette, social distancing when ill, and so forth,” he wrote in a statement to The Daily.

First case confirmed last Friday

The first Santa Clara County case was confirmed on Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The infected county resident was an adult male who had flown to San Jose International Airport from China on Jan. 24. While the resident had not traveled to California directly from Wuhan, the resident had visited Wuhan while abroad.

Cody said in a Friday press conference that the resident had most likely contracted the virus while in Wuhan and had “self-isolated” himself at home upon arrival. 

Camryn Pak and Michael Espinosa contributed reporting.

Kate Selig served as the Vol. 260 editor in chief. Contact her at kselig 'at' stanforddaily.com.

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