San Francisco reports first coronavirus cases

Two coronavirus cases were reported in San Francisco on Thursday. Two coronavirus cases were reported in San Francisco on Thursday. Photo: Peter Unger/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images Photo: Peter Unger/Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close San Francisco reports first coronavirus cases 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

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Two cases of COVID-19 have been identified in San Francisco, officials said Thursday.

The patients are "contained," Mayor London Breed said at an 11 a.m. press conference.

One patient is a man in his 90s with preexisting health conditions; he is hospitalized in serious condition. The other is a woman in her 40s; she is also hospitalized, but in fair condition.

The patients are in separate local hospitals; the specific locations aren't being disclosed.

"All appropriate precautions for the patient, visitors, and hospital staff are being taken," the public health department said in a statement. "DPH informed the patients’ families this morning, and is investigating the patients’ history and contacts to protect the health of individuals and help slow the spread of the virus in the community."

The patients were tested Wednesday and the positive results were confirmed Thursday.

Dr. Grant Colfax with the Department of Health said neither patient recently traveled to a destination with an outbreak or had contact with a person known to be infected with the virus. The cases are unrelated and likely the result of "community exposure," Colfax said.

To protect patient privacy, more details aren't being released.

“We want everyone to remain calm and continue taking precautions to keep themselves and their families healthy,” Breed said in a statement. “We have been increasing resources and staffing to prepare for the community spread of this virus, and we will do everything we can to protect public health. The City is in regular contact with all hospitals and health facilities in San Francisco, and our health system is prepared to deliver care to everyone in need and provide a coordinated response as additional cases of the novel coronavirus are confirmed.”

The health department is encouraging San Francisco residents to wash their hands, cover their coughs, stay home if they're sick, get a flu shot, avoid shaking hands, and follow the guidelines from public health officials if you've recently traveled to a country with a COVID-19 outbreak.

The department said people can prepare by making sure you have a supply of essential medications and developing a plan for what you would do if you or a caregiver were sick, your child's school closed, or a family member became sick and you had to care for him or her.

"There is no recommendation to wear masks at this time to prevent yourself from getting sick," the department said.

The pneumonia-like virus originated in Wuhan, China, and is spreading around the globe. more than 94,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, with more than 3,200 deaths. WHO reports that the COVID-19 virus is more fatal than the common flu.

There are currently more than 50 confirmed cases of coronavirus in California. The first death in California was reported Wednesday in Placer County.

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.

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