Coronavirus update: Stanislaus County records 11th case of the virus. Still no deaths locally

The coronavirus is spreading in Stanislaus County, the area’s top public health officer said in a Monday night Facebook Live chat.

Dr. Julie Vaishampayan said the “system we have in place to monitor illness in people presenting to the hospital emergency departments in our county started showing an increase in people coming in for respiratory complaints such as cough or shortness of breath over the past few days,” she said. “These are the indicators we have been looking for here in Stanislaus County to let us know that the COVID-19 is starting to spread in our community.”

Vaishampayan and Eugene Patrizio, CEO of Modesto’s Memorial Medical Center, stressed to viewers that staying inside, keeping your social distance and practicing good hygiene is the only way to stop the spread, adding that the faster that can be accomplished, the shorter time frame people will have to stay at home.

Their presentation, part of the county’s daily afternoon updates using Facebook Live, came hours after it was announced two more people had tested positive for the virus, bringing to 10 the total number in the county.

On Tuesday morning, Stanislaus County recorded its 11th case of COVID-19. The patient is an adult female, StanEmergency spokesman Royjindar Singh said. No further information about the patient or her condition was available.

Of the other 10 cases, five were hospitalized. Two picked up the virus while traveling, two were in contact with someone who had tested positive and six were by community spread.

Vaishampayan said community spread can come from those who had contracted the virus from inside or outside the county, but not by international travel or contact with someone with a confirmed case.

She acknowledged the worldwide shortage of testing equipment, but said not everyone needs to be tested.

“Everyone isn’t tested for the flu during flu season,” she said. “If you have mild flu symptoms, you may or may not be tested. But the treatment is the same. If the test makes no difference in the treatment, then the test is not going to help you. ...

“We are strongly recommending that testing be done to those hospitalized and those living in congregate settings as our highest priorities,” she said. “These are the people where the test makes the difference in their care and it makes the difference in our work to prevent spread to other people they are in contact with.”

She noted that 1 in 5 testing positive for COVID-19 will need hospitalization.

“The testing we now have available is sufficient to know how much is in the community so we can recommend the appropriate response to best keep our community healthy,” she said.

She urged those with a respiratory illness to stay home and keep away from others for seven days.

However, she said those who feel they need medical care should call their doctor.

Patrizio said hospitals are restricting visitation, postponing the surgeries that safely can be, and setting up processes for people with signs of symptoms so when they arrive, they can keep hospital workers safe.

He said they have been able to keep health care workers safe, but added that the shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE, is very real and is worldwide.

The county will have an update Tuesday, and on Wednesday will offer a panel discussion.

Meanwhile, according to the San Joaquin County website on Tuesday afternoon, there are 60 confirmed cases there and two deaths.

Merced County on Sunday reported its first confirmed case. Forty-three people have been tested in Merced County, with 30 testing negative and results pending on the other 12.

Tuolumne County Public Health’s most recent update says it has no confirmed cases. Ninety-three people have been tested, with 66 testing negative and results pending on 27. It noted that the numbers include only those routed through Public Health to its laboratory, not any routed through a commercial laboratory.

In Mariposa, there have been no reported positive cases. There have been 23 people tested, with 12 negative results and 11 pending.

For Stanislaus County updates, check www.schsa.org/PublicHealth/pages/corona-virus.

Around the San Joaquin Valley

Seven new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases were reported in Fresno County on Monday evening, bringing the county’s coronavirus cases up to 13. Of those cases, six were deemed travel-related, two contracted “person-to-person,” and five cases remain under investigation. Read the story here.

In Tulare County, an elementary school in Tulare County is still open even though Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a statewide stay-at-home order and the county has the highest number of positive coronavirus cases in the central San Joaquin Valley. Outside Creek Elementary School, a small rural school southeast of Visalia with about 100 students, has not shut down like most other school districts in the state, school staff confirmed Monday. Read the story here.

In Sacramento, The number of coronavirus cases in Sacramento County saw its biggest jump yet on Monday, with 88 reported cases and a fourth death, county officials reported. That represents an increase of 35 cases since the previous report during the weekend, mirroring increased cases statewide and nationally.

This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 7:25 AM.