Statements release by both the Sonoma County Department of Health Service (DHS) and the Sonoma County Office of Education reveal that while local officials believe the risk of coronavirus in Sonoma County is low, they are preparing anyway.
According to the DHS, the Center for Disease Control has closely monitored an outbreak of coronavirus from China since early January and has declared a public health emergency for the US. The first reported instance of human-to-human spread was reported in the US on Jan. 30. As of Feb. 11, there are 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, seven of these are in California: two in Santa Clara County, two in San Benito County, one in Los Angeles County, one in Orange County and one in San Diego County.
On Feb. 6, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that 16 laboratories, including the state’s Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory (VRDL) in Richmond will soon be able to perform testing for the novel coronavirus.
The CDPH believes that at this time, residents of the Bay Area are still at low risk of becoming infected with coronavirus, unless they have recently traveled to Wuhan Province in China or have come in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with novel coronavirus.
“The response to coronavirus is evolving quickly, and much is still unknown,” said a statement from DHS. “However, we do know that other common cold and flu viruses are circulating in Sonoma County. We urge everyone to practice good hygiene such as washing hands frequently, not touching your eyes/face, coughing or sneezing into your sleeved elbow, and staying home when ill. If you have not received your flu shot yet, it’s not too late; annual flu shots are the best protection from flu, which still sickens and kills thousands of people in the U.S. every year.”
The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) has partnered with the DHS to provide proactive guidance to schools regarding the novel coronavirus.
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, SCOE distributed a letter to school districts from County Health Officer Celeste Philip notifying schools that any child or staff member who recently traveled from China should stay home from school and school activities for 14 days after departing China, according to a statement from SCOE.
This decision followed a Feb. 4 in-person meeting at SCOE, in which Philip shared this guidance with school district superintendents. She also provided updates on the spread of the illness and best practices for preventing the spread of any infectious disease during cold and flu season. This direction was based on a recommendation from the California Department of Public Health, according to the statement.
“At this time, there is low risk to residents of California from novel coronavirus, but schools can take common-sense precautions to prevent the spread of all infectious diseases,” Philip’s letter notes. “These precautions will also be helpful to prevent the spread of other common illness such as influenza and gastroenteritis.”
“While the risk of novel coronavirus to Sonoma County residents and schools is still very low, we wanted to take a proactive approach to informing our school communities about best practices,” said Steve Herrington, Sonoma County superintendent of schools in a statement.
Useful links:
Tips for staying healthy and preventing the spread of infectious disease can be found at https://www.scoe.org/files/Coronavirus_Letter_to_SCOE_(2).pdf. (Spanish version at https://www.scoe.org/files/Coronavirus_Letter_to_SCOE_Spanish_(1).pdf).
Information and updates on coronavirus can be found at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Novel-Coronavirus-Identified/.
CDPH:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx
CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory for China:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/china-travel-advisory.html
