By Mauricio La Plante and Chris Padilla
At least two people are infected with the new coronavirus in Santa Clara County, according to a news release from county health officials Sunday.
Both patients are in isolation as of Sunday, according to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
“I understand that people are concerned, but based on what we know today, the risk to [the] general public remains low,” Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County Health Officer, said.
However, public health officials are prepared for more infections to arise, Cody said.
“With our large population and the amount of travel to China for both personal and business reasons, we will likely see more cases, including close contacts to our cases,” Cody said.
The virus can be transmitted after close contact with someone infected, according to the World Health Organization.
The symptoms of novel coronavirus are similar to those of the common cold or flu, Barbara Fu, San Jose State interim clinical supervisor, said.
Two more people in San Benito County are infected with novel coronavirus, according to The Mercury News, bringing up the total confirmed cases in California to six as of Feb. 3.
The total confirmed cases of new coronavirus in the United States is 11 with no deaths so far, according to the World Health Organization.
Computer science senior Trinh Nguyen said she is worried about the spread of the virus at SJSU.
“I hope the school does something about it, like hand out (medical) masks and hand sanitizer,” Nguyen said.
She wears a medical mask and has hand sanitizer on hand.
Nguyen said she is worried about how dangerous the virus can be, because there is no known vaccine, and carriers of the virus might spread the virus while remaining asymptomatic.
Fu recommends frequent hand washing to help minimize the risk of catching the virus.
