First US coronavirus case of unknown origin tied to Solano County. 5 things to know
A patient from Solano County in Northern California has become the first person in the United States to contract coronavirus from an unknown source, The Sacramento Bee reports.
“The individual had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected individual,” California Department of Public Health officials said in a news release.
It’s the first person-to-person transmission of the COVID-19 virus within the United States, public health officials said.
The patient is now being treated at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
Here’s what you need to know about Solano County:
1. Where is Solano County?
Solano County lies in Northern California between Sacramento and San Pablo Bay, the northernmost part of San Francisco Bay.
It runs from just west of Davis in Yolo County to the city of Vallejo on the shore of San Pablo Bay. The county runs north to Lake Berryessa and south to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
Interstate 80, a major connector between San Francisco and Sacramento, runs through Solano County.
2. What’s the population of Solano County?
Home to several cities and Travis Air Force Base, the county has an estimated population of 446,610, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Solano County contains the cities of Benicia, Vallejo, Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon and Suisun City, according to the county’s website. Fairfield, the county seat, has a population of 116,000, while Vallejo is home to 122,000 and Vacaville 100,000.
The county produced $364 million in agricultural production in 2018, including nursery products, tomato processing, alfalfa and cattle, according to the Solano County Crop Report.
It’s also home to the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom amusement park in Vallejo and Travis Air Force base in Fairfield.
Many Solano County residents commute to work in Sacramento and San Francisco.
3. Does Solano County have a connection to the global coronavirus outbreak?
About 200 U.S. citizens evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, were housed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield for a 14-day quarantine, The Bee previously reported.
The evacuees, mostly U.S. State Department workers and their families, were released from quarantine at an on-base hotel Feb. 5.
It’s not yet known whether the person newly infected with coronavirus has a connection to the airbase or the quarantined evacuees.
4. Why is the Solano county case important?
Sixty people in the United States have come down with the COVID-19 virus, but until this case all had visited China or had close contact with people who had been there, Johns Hopkins University reports.
That makes the Solano County patient the first case of “community spread” of the disease in the United States, representing a significant turn for the worse, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
“It would confirm what we have long suspected — that there is a good chance there already are people infected in this country and that the virus is circulating undetected,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, according to The Washington Post.
“It points to the need for expanded surveillance so we know how many more are out there and how to respond,” Nuzzo said, the publication reported.
5. How can I protect myself from coronavirus?
While scientists are working on a COVID-19 vaccine, none currently exists, says the CDC.
The CDC advises you to avoid close contact with infected individuals, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, stay home when you are sick and cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Other tips include cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wiping and washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
Coronavirus symptoms can include fever, runny nose, cough and breathing trouble. Most people suffer only a mild case, but 2,810 have died from the virus around the world.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 8:16 AM with the headline "First US coronavirus case of unknown origin tied to Solano County. 5 things to know."