Health Officials Confirms Possible Instance Of Community Spread Of Coronavirus

Health Reporter Stephanie Stahl reports.

WATCHER I'M METEOROLOGIST MATTPETERSON.LET'S SEND IT BACK INTO THESTUDIO.MATT STAY BUNDLED UP OUTTHERE.

THANKS SO MUCH.DEVELOPING RIGHT NOW ASTHE CORONAVIRUS SPREADS THEWORLD IS REACTING.TODAY WE'RE LEARNING MOREABOUT A NEW CORONAVIRUS CASEIN CALIFORNIA THAT'S NOTLINKED TO INTERNATIONALTRAVEL.HEALTH REPORTER STEPHANIESTAHL JOINS US NOW SO STEPH NOCLUE HOW THIS PATIENT GOTINFECTED.THEY'RE STILL TRYING TOFIGURE IT OUT.THERE ARE A LOT OF UNANSWEREDQUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NEWLYREVEALED PATIENT BUT IT IS ANINDICATION THE CORONAVIRUS ISSPREADING IN THE UNITEDSTATES.IT'S WHAT HEALTH OFFICIALSPREDICTED WOULD HAPPEN.THE FIRST CASE OFCORONAVIRUS WAS NO IMMEDIATELINKS TO WORLDWIDE TRAVEL OR ARELATED ILLNESS HAS BEENIDENTIFIED IN A PATIENTHOSPITALIZED IN CALIFORNIA.THERE'S PROBABLY OTHERCASES OUT THERE IN THECOMMUNITY THAT WE DON'T KNOWABOUT.DOCTORS AT UC DAVIS MEDICALCENTER ARE CONCERNED THEPATIENT MIGHT BE THE FIRST OFMANY INFECTED BY SOMEONE ELSEIN THE GENERAL POPULATION.THE PATIENT WAS TRANSPORTED.THE INDIVIDUAL WASN'T TESTEDFOR CORONAVIRUS UNTIL SUNDAYAND THE RESULTS CAME BACKPOSITIVE WEDNESDAY.IT'S THE FIRST CASE OF WHATDOCTORS ARE CALLING COMMUNITYTRANSMISSION.IT SUGGESTS WE DON'T KNOWWHERE THEY GOT IT FROM SO THEPERSON WHO EXPOSED THEYPROBABLY EXPOSED OTHERS.WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRESIDENTTRUMP TRIED TO EASE FEARS OVERTHE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK.THE RISK TO THE AMERICANPEOPLE REMAINS VERY LOW.AT THE WHITE HOUSEMR. TRUMP TAPPED VICEPRESIDENT MIKE PENCE TO HEADTHE ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE.WE'RE READY TO ADAPT ANDWE'RE READY TO DO WHATEVER WEHAVE TO.BUT FEDERAL HEALTHOFFICIALS WARNED MOREINFECTIONS ARE LIKELY.THE TRAJECTORY OF WHATWE'RE LOOKING AT OVER THEWEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD IS VERYUNCERTAIN.NOW, SYMPTOMS OFCORONAVIRUS ARE SIMILAR TO THEFLU, FEVER AND RESPIRATORYISSUES BUT THERE IS GROWINGEVIDENCE THE VIRUS CAN BESPREAD BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOSYMPTOMS.RAISING CONCERNS THERE COULDALREADY BE MORE CASES IN THEUNITED STATES THAT HAVE NOTBEEN DETECTED.BEST PREVENTION IS TO WASHYOUR HANDS COVER YOUR COUGHAND STAY HOME WHEN YOU'RESICK.EXTREMELY CONCERNINGSTEPHANIE.GOOD ADVICE.FORTUNATELY MOST CASES TODATE HAVE BEEN MILD BUT IT'SSTILL DEVELOPING SO WE'LL SEE.ALL RIGHT, THANKS SO MUCH.APPRECIATE IT.WELL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOWTHE DEVELOPMENTS ON THE SPREAD