COVID-19 is now spreading at the community level in Orange County

An OCFA firefighter was recently diagnosed with COVID-19. the OCFA responded to this on Twitter with this alarming message:

OCFA firefighters have responded to many medical aid requests from patients with symptoms that may be consistent with COVID-19. At this point it is a community-wide exposure level, and it is difficult to always narrow it down to a source patient.

In related news the O.C. Health Care Agency announced that going forward they to will no longer be differentiating between COVID-19 patients who were travelers and those who caught it in the community.

Currently we are up to 65 COVID-19 patients in Orange County, according to the O.C. Health Care Agency. They have identified that 26 of those cases were Community Acquired. You can expect that number to keep going up.

Also, for the first time, county officials reported that a child under the age of 18 has been diagnosed with the virus. Thirty-three cases are reported in people ages 18-49, 19 between the ages of 50-64 and 12 in people older than 65. Thirty-nine of the confirmed cases are male and 26 are female, according to CBS.

The controls put in place by California Governor Gavin Newsom and most cities and counties, including the City of Santa Ana and Orange County, should help. However too many people are still acting in risky fashion.

Tips from the O.C. Health Care Agency:

• High-risk populations which include older adults (ages 65 and higher) as well as people who have serious, chronic medical conditions (like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease) are at higher risk for contracting COVID-19. These individuals should self-isolate at home.
• Residents should practice good health hygiene which includes washing your hands, staying home if you are sick, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve (not hands).
• Minimizing risk through social distancing whenever possible which includes avoiding attendance at large gatherings (250 people or more). Small gatherings should be limited to no more than 10 people and provide social distancing of six feet per person.
• Maintain vigilance and personal readiness which includes being prepared if there is COVID-19 in your household or a disruption of daily activities in your community. For example, maintain a supply of medications, food and other essentials in your house.
• Call ahead: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, stay home while you are ill. If you need to seek medical care, call your health care provider first so that appropriate precautions can be taken.

For the most updated information on this outbreak please visit CDC COVID-19.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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