The OC Health Care Agency confirms the first case of novel Coronavirus in Orange County

(Santa Ana, CA) – The OC Health Care Agency’s (HCA) Communicable Disease Control Division received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this evening that an Orange County, California case has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The case, a traveler from Wuhan, China, has been in contact with the HCA and was provided guidance in order to reduce exposure to the public while awaiting laboratory confirmation from the CDC. The individual has now been transported to a local hospital and is in isolation in good condition.

• In consultation with the CDC and the California Department of Public Health, the HCA is following up directly with all individuals who have had close contact with the case and are at risk of infection.
• The HCA will be monitoring any close contacts and assure that proper evaluation and care is provided if they become ill.
• The CDC’s guidance indicates that people who have casual contact with a case (in the same grocery store or movie theater) are at minimal risk of developing infection.
• There is no evidence that person-to-person transmission has occurred in Orange County.
• The current risk of local transmission remains low.
• No additional details about the case will be released at this time.

Members of the media, please know that Dr. Nichole Quick, County Health Officer will be available tomorrow, January 26th for interviews after 11 a.m. Please email JGood@ochca.com with your preferred time, and indicate if you are requesting a telephone or in-person interview.

Human coronaviruses are common throughout the world. Seven different coronaviruses, that scientists know of, can infect people and make them sick. Some human coronaviruses were identified many years ago and some have been identified recently. Human coronaviruses commonly cause mild to moderate illness in people worldwide. Two newer human coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, have been known to frequently cause severe illness.

For general information about novel coronavirus, please visit www.cdc.gov or www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus.

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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