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California and Coronavirus: Eight Cases Are Confirmed in the State California and Coronavirus: Eight Cases Are Confirmed in the State
(2 months later)
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SAN FRANCISCO — The seventh and eighth cases of coronavirus in California were confirmed this week in people who had been evacuated from Wuhan, China, to the United States. The patients were on separate State Department-arranged flights that mostly carried American citizens to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.SAN FRANCISCO — The seventh and eighth cases of coronavirus in California were confirmed this week in people who had been evacuated from Wuhan, China, to the United States. The patients were on separate State Department-arranged flights that mostly carried American citizens to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
Four of the state’s cases are in Southern California and four in the San Francisco Bay Area. California not only has the most cases of any state, it is also on the forefront of quarantine efforts in the United States.Four of the state’s cases are in Southern California and four in the San Francisco Bay Area. California not only has the most cases of any state, it is also on the forefront of quarantine efforts in the United States.
The federal government has imposed a 14-day quarantine for hundreds of people it has evacuated from China, housing them at military bases including Miramar, March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County and Travis Air Force Base in Solano County.The federal government has imposed a 14-day quarantine for hundreds of people it has evacuated from China, housing them at military bases including Miramar, March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County and Travis Air Force Base in Solano County.
“The novel coronavirus is a serious public health concern, however the risk to the general public in California remains low,” Dr. Sonia Angell, the director of the state’s public health department, said in a statement.“The novel coronavirus is a serious public health concern, however the risk to the general public in California remains low,” Dr. Sonia Angell, the director of the state’s public health department, said in a statement.
Americans whose flights took off from China after 5 p.m. Eastern time on Feb. 2 and who had spent time recently in Hubei Province, where Wuhan is the provincial capital, will be subject to a quarantine of up to two weeks under restrictions announced by the Trump administration.Americans whose flights took off from China after 5 p.m. Eastern time on Feb. 2 and who had spent time recently in Hubei Province, where Wuhan is the provincial capital, will be subject to a quarantine of up to two weeks under restrictions announced by the Trump administration.
Though the disease has killed more than 1,000 people worldwide, the outbreak remains limited in the United States, where there have been 14 confirmed cases and no deaths.Though the disease has killed more than 1,000 people worldwide, the outbreak remains limited in the United States, where there have been 14 confirmed cases and no deaths.
The case of a married couple who live in San Benito County was the first involving a household person-to-person transmission of coronavirus in California, public health officials said.The case of a married couple who live in San Benito County was the first involving a household person-to-person transmission of coronavirus in California, public health officials said.
In the six other cases — two each in Santa Clara and San Diego Counties and one each in Los Angeles and Orange Counties — the patients are believed to have been infected in Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, before traveling to California.In the six other cases — two each in Santa Clara and San Diego Counties and one each in Los Angeles and Orange Counties — the patients are believed to have been infected in Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, before traveling to California.
Dr. Angell said in a recorded video message in January that the health risk to the general public in California was low. “But we still consider this a serious public health concern,” she said. At the time, around 40 people in California had been tested for the disease, according to the department.Dr. Angell said in a recorded video message in January that the health risk to the general public in California was low. “But we still consider this a serious public health concern,” she said. At the time, around 40 people in California had been tested for the disease, according to the department.
But understanding the specific risks to the state centers on questions that have not yet been answered: How transmissible is the disease? And how long is its incubation period? Estimates of the incubation period range from two days to two weeks.But understanding the specific risks to the state centers on questions that have not yet been answered: How transmissible is the disease? And how long is its incubation period? Estimates of the incubation period range from two days to two weeks.
Christine Kreuder Johnson, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, Davis, said California was more vulnerable than some other places in the United States because of the large number of people in the state traveling back and forth to China.Christine Kreuder Johnson, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, Davis, said California was more vulnerable than some other places in the United States because of the large number of people in the state traveling back and forth to China.
“It does put us right on that front line,” she said.“It does put us right on that front line,” she said.
Many flights from China entered the state before the disease was recognized and screenings at the San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York airports were put into place on Jan 17.Many flights from China entered the state before the disease was recognized and screenings at the San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York airports were put into place on Jan 17.
It is an open question, Dr. Johnson said, whether any passengers on the earlier flights were infected and had transmitted the disease to others.It is an open question, Dr. Johnson said, whether any passengers on the earlier flights were infected and had transmitted the disease to others.
Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines have suspended all service to mainland China.Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines have suspended all service to mainland China.
Dr. Johnson said she was optimistic based on the previous outbreaks like SARS that the coronavirus could be extinguished.Dr. Johnson said she was optimistic based on the previous outbreaks like SARS that the coronavirus could be extinguished.
“There is good hope for it to be controlled,” she said.“There is good hope for it to be controlled,” she said.
Among the 195 people initially quarantined on a military base in Southern California were diplomats, infants, a football player and a theme-park designer.Among the 195 people initially quarantined on a military base in Southern California were diplomats, infants, a football player and a theme-park designer.
Their flight was the first one that was organized by the State Department to leave Wuhan.Their flight was the first one that was organized by the State Department to leave Wuhan.
“It’s not Club Med, but we’re fortunate to be here,” said Matthew McCoy, the theme-park designer who lives in Shanghai but was in Wuhan working on a mall he is refashioning. “I try to stay busy with my work, social media and my hotel workout regimen.”“It’s not Club Med, but we’re fortunate to be here,” said Matthew McCoy, the theme-park designer who lives in Shanghai but was in Wuhan working on a mall he is refashioning. “I try to stay busy with my work, social media and my hotel workout regimen.”
Updated June 5, 2020
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
The evacuees had their temperatures taken regularly and their noses swabbed, and were advised against shaking hands or hugging. They were released on Feb. 11 without any cases of coronavirus emerging.The evacuees had their temperatures taken regularly and their noses swabbed, and were advised against shaking hands or hugging. They were released on Feb. 11 without any cases of coronavirus emerging.
While the spread of the disease has been limited in California, it has already had a social impact.While the spread of the disease has been limited in California, it has already had a social impact.
College students from mainland China as well as Americans in California of East Asian descent are reporting suspicious glances on public transport and rising xenophobia.College students from mainland China as well as Americans in California of East Asian descent are reporting suspicious glances on public transport and rising xenophobia.
At the University of California, Berkeley, which has a large Chinese student population, officials apologized after the university health center posted an image that included “xenophobia” among a list of “common reactions” to the coronavirus. It was condemned as giving legitimacy to racism.At the University of California, Berkeley, which has a large Chinese student population, officials apologized after the university health center posted an image that included “xenophobia” among a list of “common reactions” to the coronavirus. It was condemned as giving legitimacy to racism.
Dr. Stacie San Miguel, the director of medical services at the University of California, San Diego’s student health center, said students and others had been flocking to physicians for checkups.Dr. Stacie San Miguel, the director of medical services at the University of California, San Diego’s student health center, said students and others had been flocking to physicians for checkups.
“Especially the people who have been to China and had a runny nose, they’re not sure — is this something or not something? — so there has been some anxiety,” Dr. San Miguel said.“Especially the people who have been to China and had a runny nose, they’re not sure — is this something or not something? — so there has been some anxiety,” Dr. San Miguel said.
In Northern California, multiple cities canceled their Lunar New Year celebrations, including Stockton and Elk Grove.In Northern California, multiple cities canceled their Lunar New Year celebrations, including Stockton and Elk Grove.
Reporting was contributed by Adeel Hassan and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs from New York, Julie Bosman from Chicago and Miriam Jordan from Los Angeles.Reporting was contributed by Adeel Hassan and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs from New York, Julie Bosman from Chicago and Miriam Jordan from Los Angeles.