A female patient who traveled from China to visit family in Santa Clara County is now the second Bay Area case of the Wuhan coronavirus.
The woman reportedly did not have symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization, and since arriving in the country on January 23 she has only left her family's home twice to seek outpatient medical care, as ABC 7 reports. The woman's family is also now being quarantined at their home, and the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health is reportedly providing them with groceries and other needs.
County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody issued a statement saying, "I understand that people are concerned, but based on what we know today, the risk to general public remains low. A second [local] case is not unexpected. 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."
As Bay City News reports, the county also encouraged everyone to "engage in their regular activities and practice good health hygiene since this is the height of flu season."
The new case of the virus follows Friday's news of the Bay Area's first coronavirus diagnose. The male patient in that case had traveled to Wuhan, China and returned to Santa Clara County via San Jose Airport on January 24.
The two patients had no contact with one another.
Also on Sunday, stricter restrictions took effect for travelers arriving in the U.S. from China. They are now all being diverted to one of six "screener airports" with extra personnel from the Centers for Disease Control who will be screening each passenger.
As KPIX reports, the Chinese government is instituting new surveillance of citizens around Wuhan, reprimanding them via drones if they go outside without wearing a mask.
Photo: CDC