Posted on 02/26/2020 6:24:22 PM PST by DouglasKC
The UC Davis Medical Center is treating a patient who may be the first person in the country to have contracted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from community exposure.
The California Department of Public Health reported Wednesday the individual is a resident of Solano County who had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected individual.
An email sent out Wednesday by two UC Davis officials said the patient arrived at the medical center in Sacramento last Wednesday but was only tested for the virus on Sunday despite a request made by med center officials that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conduct a test when the patient was admitted.
“Today the CDC confirmed the patient’s test was positive,” said the email from David Lubarsky, vice-chancellor of human health services, and Brad Simmons, interim CEO of UC Davis Medical Center.
“This is not the first COVID-19 patient we have treated, and because of the precautions we have had in place since this patient’s arrival, we believe there has been minimal potential for exposure here at UC Davis Medical Center,” the email said.
Nevertheless, a small number of medical center employees have been asked to stay home and monitor their temperatures.
Lubarsky and Simmons said the patient was transferred to UC Davis from “another Northern California hospital” on Wednesday, Feb 19.
“When the patient arrived, the patient had already been intubated, was on a ventilator, and given droplet protection orders because of an undiagnosed and suspected viral condition,” the email said.
“Since the patient arrived with a suspected viral infection, our care teams have been taking the proper infection prevention precautions during the patient’s stay.
“Upon admission, our team asked public health officials if this case could be COVID-19. We requested COVID-19 testing by the CDC, since neither Sacramento County nor (the California Department of Public Health) is doing testing for coronavirus at this time. Since the patient did not fit the existing CDC criteria for COVID-19, a test was not immediately administered,” said the email, which added that, “UC Davis Health does not control the testing process.”
On Sunday, the CDC ordered COVID-19 testing of the patient and the patient was put on airborne precautions and strict contact precautions. The positive test results were announced on Wednesday.
“We are proud of our health care workers who have been working to care for this patient and are committed to saving this patient’s life,” the email said.
“Just as when a health care worker has a small chance of exposure to other illnesses, such as TB or pertussis, we are following standard CDC protocols for determination of exposure and surveillance. So, out of an abundance of caution, in order to assure the health and safety of our employees, we are asking a small number of employees to stay home and monitor their temperature.
“We are handling this in the same way we manage other diseases that require airborne precautions and monitoring. We are in constant communication with the state health department and the CDC and Sacramento County Public Health about the optimal management of this patient and possible employee exposures,” the email said.
“As we regularly handle patients with infectious diseases, we have robust infection control protocols in place to handle this patient and others with more frequently seen infectious diseases. In this case, we are dedicated to providing the best care possible for this patient and continuing to protect the health of our employees who care for them.”
The CDC announced on Wednesday that a case of novel coronavirus of “unknown origin” — without a relevant travel history or exposure to another known patient — had been diagnosed in a patient in Northern California but did not indicate what city or county the case was in.
In a press released issued Wednesday evening, the state Department of Public Health revealed the individual was from Solano County.
“The health risk from novel coronavirus to the general public remains low at this time,” the release said. “While COVID-19 has a high transmission rate, it has a low mortality rate. From the international data we have, of those who have tested positive for COVID-19, approximately 80 percent do not exhibit symptoms that would require hospitalization. There have been no confirmed deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States to date. California is carefully assessing the situation as it evolves.”
“Keeping Californians safe and healthy is our number one priority,” said State Public Health Officer Dr. Sonia Angell.
“This has been an evolving situation, which California has been monitoring and responding to since COVID-19 cases first emerged in China last year. This is a new virus, and while we are still learning about it, there is a lot we already know.
“We have been anticipating the potential for such a case in the U.S., and given our close familial, social and business relationships with China, it is not unexpected that the first case in the U.S. would be in California. That’s why California has been working closely with federal and local partners, including health care providers and hospitals, since the outbreak was first reported in China — and we are already responding.”
This would be the first known instance of person-to-person transmission in the general public in the United States, according to Angell.
Previously known instances of person-to-person transmission in the United States include one instance in Chicago, Ill., and one in San Benito County. Both cases were after close, prolonged interaction with a family member who returned from Wuhan, China, and had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by novel coronavirus. As of Wednesday, including this case, California has had seven travel-related cases, one close contact case and now one community transmission.
Wow I missed that line in the article. But I read it as they recognized the symptoms when the patient got shipped there and so asked for the test. But the bigger question to me is who else did they treat and when?
He threaded the needle pretty well.
He also looked very subdued. I suppose that could just be jet-lag, and/or maybe even a touch of New Delhi Belly...
Hesh...it’s only the flu.
Small bottle of sanitizing SPRAY....for doorknobs and grocery carts, etc.
Works on hands, too.
sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry
“If so, that buys time until we start quarantining cities.”
If it ever gets that bad, Trump nor ANY POTUS would be reelected.
Take that to the bank.
Can you confirm that?
Perhaps the Carnival cruisers?
Wasn't their quarantine in Solano county?
I just read on Natural News that a flight attendant tested positive in Orange County.
I don't know....I wasn't following it that closely.
Maybe the virus has been here already,
So we elect a socialist?
And our country's conversion to socialism is completed?
Brennan you magnificent bastard.
She was flying international flights, Korea and Israel
Just don't look into a mirror!!
“Keep hand sanitizer everywhere.”
It doesn’t work. Not enough alcohol.
COVID-19 requires 90% alcohol to be killed. Or any number of household items like bleach, lysol, iodine etc.
I believe the chlorine concentration to be effective is 1%. So a gallon of household bleach would make 5 gallons of sanitizer. Along with a full minute of exposure.
Speaking of Israel they basically told everyone in Israel today to not fly international unless it was absolutely necessary.
Really? I did not know that.
I’m just saying that no POTUS could be reelected under those circumstances.
Will have to have your cell phone track you and all other peoples cell phones that come within 50 feet of you, 24/7.
Then have the gov. use the cell phone data to track/test everyone that did.
Then send quad copter drones to spray anyone that came into range, with a carrier of the virus, with a bright permanent dye.
And robots.
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