The Sacramento County Public Health Department said on Friday that the first "travel-related" novel coronavirus case in Sacramento has been confirmed. The unidentified adult recently traveled to China, where the outbreak of coronavirus began in December of last year. They returned to Sacramento County on February 2nd, but county health officials say they self-quarantined since that time.
During the quarantine, the person began exhibiting mild symptoms. Their doctor has cooperated with Sacramento County Public Health Department officials, who themselves have coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and the California Department of Public Health. The quarantine will remain in affect until the individual cleared by county health officials, and they add that the public’s risk of exposure is extremely low.
Sacramento County Public Health has a coordinated reporting system with various healthcare partners, including state and federal health agencies, to identify possible cases of coronavirus, coordinate testing and diagnosis efforts, and manage suspected cases. As recommended by the CDC, a clinical specimen was collected from the Sacramento County patient and was sent to the CDC where laboratory testing confirmed the infection.