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UC Davis Confirms New Coronavirus Case Being Treated At Sacramento Medical Center Is First Of Unknown Origin

  •  Bob Moffitt 
  •  Randol White 
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 | Sacramento, CA
NIAID-RML via AP

This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

NIAID-RML via AP

Gov. Gavin Newsom gave an update on the state's response to coronavirus Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Watch the update here.

Updated Feb. 27 at 1:18 a.m.

A patient being treated for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, at the UC Davis Medical Center is "possibly the first patient to have received the infection from exposure in the community," UC Davis confirmed Thursday.

A memo sent by the CEOs of UC Davis Health and the Medical Center states that the patient was transferred to its facility on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento on February 19 from another Northern California hospital, and was tested for COVID-19 four days later, on Sunday.

UC Davis says it requested testing for the disease when the patient was admitted, but that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention denied it.

"Since the patient did not fit the existing CDC criteria for COVID-19, a test was not immediately administered. UC Davis Health does not control the testing process," the letter reads.

The CDC finally ordered the test on February 23, according to the letter.

Max Posner/NPR

Health Care

A Guide: How To Prepare Your Home For Coronavirus

A "small number" of UC Davis employees have been asked to stay home and "monitor their temperature" due to possible exposure. The letter says hospital officials are requesting this "out of an abundance of caution" and "in order to assure the health and safety of our employees."

The memo also states that this is not the first COVID-19 patient the Medical Center has treated.

"As we regularly handle patients with infectious diseases, we have robust infection control protocols in place to handle this patient and others with more frequently seen infectious diseases," it reads.

Original story

A new case of coronavirus disease COVID-19, diagnosed in Northern California and being treated in Sacramento, is the first case in the United States of unknown origin, according to officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to a press release from the California Department of Public Health, the patient is a resident of Solano County and being treated in Sacramento County.

The statement says they "had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected individual."

Sacramento County confirmed the case. "This patient is in isolation," spokesperson Kim Nava said. "Sacramento County Public Health is working closely with state and federal agencies to determine the source of the individual's infection and are conducting contact investigations."

CDPH says the risk to the general public remains low, and that they are assessing the situation as it evolves. 

"We have been anticipating the potential for such a case in the U.S., and given our close familial, social and business relationships with China, it is not unexpected that the first case in the U.S. would be in California," Dr. Sonia Angell, Director of the California Department of Public Health and State Public Health Officer said in a statement.

She continued: "That’s why California has been working closely with federal and local partners, including health care providers and hospitals, since the outbreak was first reported in China — and we are already responding."

The Washington Post first reported the case Wednesday afternoon, the 60th case in the United States, 45 of which are connected to the  Diamond Princess cruise ship.

CDC officials confirmed this case is not related to the cruise ship, and that the patient hadn't traveled out of the country or been in contact with some who had.

Before Wednesday, there were 10 confirmed cases in California, according to the California Department of Public Health. Sacramento County reported its first case last week.

San Francisco declared a state of emergency around the disease Tuesday, and Orange County did the same Wednesday.

The diagnosis comes as fears around the disease in the United States continue to grow.

On Tuesday, officials with the CDC told Americans to prepare for COVID-19 to continue to spread. And on Wednesday, President Trump called a press conference to announce Vice President Mike Pence would lead the nation's response.

NPR reports there are more than 81,191 cases related to the novel coronavirus globally, according to a dashboard created by the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. 

This story has been updated with new information regarding Sacramento County's confirmation of the case.


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    More about Coronavirus

  • NIAID-RML via AP

    Coronavirus In California: Latest Updates And Resources

    The coronavirus has impacted nearly every aspect of life in California and around the world. Here are resources and all our coverage at CapRadio and NPR.

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  • NIAID-RML via AP

    Interview: Washington Post Reporter Lenny Bernstein On California Coronavirus

    Friday, February 28, 2020
    Washington Post Health and Medicine Reporter Lenny Bernstein, who broke the story about the Solano County COVID-19 patient, joined us for a special segment of Insight to discuss the coronavirus. Here are some highlights from the conversation.
  • NIAID-RML via AP

    Interview: Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Dean Blumberg On What To Know About Coronavirus

    Thursday, February 27, 2020
    UC Davis Dr. Dean Blumberg joined CapRadio's Insight to discuss coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes. He says people should wash their hands and stay home from work if they feel ill, but that they shouldn’t panic.
  • Alex Brandon / AP

    Trump Appoints Pence To Lead Government's Coronavirus Response

    Wednesday, February 26, 2020
    Hours after the White House rejected the idea of appointing a coronavirus czar, President Trump on Wednesday put Vice President Pence in charge of the administration's coronavirus response.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    First Sacramento County Coronavirus Case Identified

    Friday, February 21, 2020
    The Sacramento County Department of Health Services says a person who returned to the U.S. from China earlier this month has tested positive for COVID-19, the first case of novel coronavirus in the county.

 Coronavirus

Bob Moffitt

Former Sacramento Region Reporter

Bob reported on all things northern California and Nevada. His coverage of police technology, local athletes, and the environment has won a regional Associated Press and several Edward R. Murrow awards.  Read Full Bio 

Randol White

All Things Considered Anchor/Reporter

Randol White is an award-winning, accomplished, and well-rounded broadcast journalist with more than two decades of radio, television, web and print experience.  Read Full Bio 

 @RandolWhite  Email Randol White

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