San Bernardino County monitoring Novel Coronavirus; reports no local cases

The San Bernardino County Department of Public Health (DPH) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to respond to recent reports of a novel (new) coronavirus. No cases have been reported in San Bernardino County.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that circulate mostly among animals, including camels, cats and bats. Common symptoms in an infected human include a fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

 “There have been no confirmed coronavirus cases in San Bernardino County to date,” states Dr. Erin Gustafson, San Bernardino County Assistant Health Officer. “DPH will keep citizens informed as more information about the coronavirus is made available. At this time, we urge the public to remain calm, as it is very unlikely to be at risk of contracting the virus.”

As with any virus, especially during the flu season, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your health and those around you:

• Washing hands with soap and water.
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick are all ways to reduce the risk of infection with a number of different viruses.
• If someone does become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough, they should stay away from work, school or other people to avoid spreading illness.

Since December 2019, Chinese authorities have identified hundreds of cases associated with this novel coronavirus in an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

CDPH has been informed that one individual in Los Angeles County and one individual in Orange County have tested positive for novel coronavirus, which has been confirmed by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH), the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), and CDC.

The CDC confirmed the first case in the U.S. on Jan. 21, a Washington State man who had returned to the U.S from Wuhan on Jan. 15. On Jan. 24, the CDC confirmed a second U.S. case in a traveler who returned to Chicago from Wuhan on Jan. 13. 

While there is no cure for this virus, our hospital partners and clinical providers will be able to test and care for ill travelers effectively to minimize transmission and severe illness. DPH will continue to provide updates and work with local healthcare providers as the situation evolves.

DPH urges individuals who have recently traveled to Wuhan City and who develop fever or respiratory symptoms, to contact their healthcare provider by phone. DPH requests that healthcare providers treating patients with respiratory symptoms ask these patients about their travel history to Wuhan, China and to report suspected novel coronavirus infections to DPH.

Additional questions about the screening process should be directed to the CDC. Additional information can be found though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or California Department of Public Health (CDPH) pages. Information is available in English and Chinese.