Virus warnings issued for those over 50
The impact of the coronavirus outbreak that has alarmed health officials worldwide took on new urgency March 3 as Santa Clara County announced two new cases in people without known exposure risk and warned residents older than 50 or in poor health to avoid large public gatherings.
County officials said people are progressively more vulnerable to the disease as they age and if they have other health problems. And because the disease is primarily spread through contact with infected people, they urged people at highest risk to avoid events like parades, sporting events and concerts where many people sit or stand close together.
“The risk increases with age,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s health officer. “We are recommending people at higher risk avoid mass gatherings.”
Santa Clara County’s warning goes further than those of other Bay Area counties, which have had fewer cases of the virus, officially called COVID-19, and generally advise residents to regularly wash hands, avoid sick people and stay home if not well.
There are now 11 cases in Santa Clara County, the highest of any other Bay Area county. Of the county’s nine known cases before March 3, four involved recent travel to China, where the outbreak originated in December, three involved close contact with infected people, and two had no known risk factors and are believed to have involved community spread.
“Due to our almost daily increase in cases, the Public
Health Department is issuing new guidance today to protect the health of vulnerable individuals,” Cody said. “We ask for the public’s help in sharing these new recommendations, staying calm, and following prior guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control.”
The advice does not include typical office environments, grocery stores or shopping centers, where it is unusual for large numbers of people to be within arm’s length of one another, health officials said.
At the SAP Center, where the San Jose Sharks were to play the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 3, management said in a statement that it is coordinating with local agencies and the CDC, and “at this time we have not received any information about the coronavirus that would indicate a need to alter any of our operating procedures.”
“SAP Center Management takes this matter seriously and will continue to monitor the situation as more information becomes available,” the statement continued.
Fans on their way to the game appeared to take the county’s warning in stride.
“Officials have to be pragmatic and so do we, but that won’t stop me from attending tonight’s hockey game,” said Gus Thomson, 63, of Auburn. Thomson added that he planned to take precautions during the game, including washing his hands and not touching his face.
Clad in a Sharks jersey, Bill Hildebrand, 65, of Hayward, said he planned to keep attending games.
“I believe in fate,” Hildebrand said. “If it happens, it happens.”
Attendees at opening night of Cinequest also weren’t deterred by the warning. “It’s the luck of the draw,” said Shel Onstead, 87. “If you’re in the wrong place, you’ll get sick.”
Cinequest co-founder and festival director Halfdan Hussey said the festival was taking commonsense precautions like asking volunteer and staff members to stay home if they are feeling sick and having more hand sanitizers available at venues.
“We haven’t had anyone ask us to refund a ticket or a pass because of this. And we don’t have any filmmakers coming from countries that have been heavily affected,” he said. “Our company didn’t need the coronavirus to have these good health procedures.”
The Santa Clara County health department also advised that organizations serving the elderly and medically vulnerable cancel gatherings such as bingo or movie screenings and be extra vigilant about cleaning shared surfaces such as doorknobs and keyboards, and screening visitors for symptoms.
The risk of severe illness increases at age 50 and goes up the older a person is, with people age 80 and older at the highest risk, health officials said. People with medical problems such as cardiovascular or heart disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease or who are immunocompromised also are at greater risk.
In addition to Santa Clara, Solano County — which includes Travis Air Force Base, where many Americans were quarantined after evacuating from China or a cruise ship off Japan — has three confirmed cases, one of which may have been community spread. Contra Costa County also has three cases.