11 coronavirus cases confirmed in US, health officials say

Three new cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus were confirmed Sunday in California, health officials said, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to 11.

Dr. Sara Cody, health officer for Santa Clara County, said a woman tested positive for coronavirus after traveling to the area Jan. 23 from Wuhan, China, the city at the center of the viral outbreak. Cody described the woman’s illness as “mild” and said she’s kept to her family’s home since her arrival in the U.S.

The woman and her family have since been isolated to allow authorities to monitor their conditions, officials said. Cody added that the woman's illness did not appear to be related to an earlier case of coronavirus confirmed in the county.

In San Benito County, officials confirmed two cases of coronavirus, including one involving a patient who hadn’t traveled to China. The case, involving spouses, marked the first report of human-to-human transmission of the virus in the state.

“The novel coronavirus is a serious public health concern, however, the risk to the general public in California remains low,” California Public Health Department Director Dr. Sonia Angell said Sunday. “We have had only one case of person-to-person transmission here and it was from a traveler to China to a spouse. Both are in stable condition.”

In addition to the cases in Santa Clara and San Benito counties, health officials have confirmed coronavirus cases in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Several cases have also been confirmed nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: two in Illinois and one each in Massachusetts, Washington and Arizona.

As of Monday morning, more than 17,300 people had been diagnosed globally as having the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization. In China, 361 people have died of the viral infection, the health agency reported. One person has died of coronavirus in the Philippines.

Last week, the WHO declared coronavirus a global health emergency and officials with the CDC recommended travelers “avoid all nonessential travel to China.”

Officials recommend that any people who have recently traveled to Wuhan and subsequently experienced flu-like symptoms -- including fever, coughing, shortness of breath or a sore throat -- contact their health care providers.

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