2 More Coronavirus Cases Confirmed In Marin County​

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Two more Marin County residents have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total to three, county health officials announced Wednesday evening.

Both people were living with the person who was the county's first confirmed case. The Marin man was a passenger on the Grand Princess - Mexican Rivera cruise ship that experienced an outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Also read: Coronavirus Case Confirmed In Marin County

The two people who are the second and third cases had been isolated in their home. They have mild symptoms and do not need to be hospitalized, county officials said.

"Unfortunately, this doesn't come as a surprise," said Dr. Matt Willis, the county's public health officer. "These individuals were at high risk based on very close contact."

Two more members of the same household have been tested for coronavirus. County officials are waiting to get the results.

"We fully expect to see more cases in Marin," Willis added. "Given the number of cases in the Bay Area, we will see transmission within our community. Our ultimate goal is to limit the trajectory of COVID-19."

Also read: Marin Officials Recommend Ban On Large Indoor Gatherings

In California, 177 cases had been confirmed and three people had died as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to the California Department of Public Health.

In light of the growing number of cases worldwide, the World Health Organization announced Wednesday that the new coronavirus had become a "pandemic." The pandemic declaration refers to the scope of COVID-19 — but not its severity — and means it has become a "worldwide spread of a new disease."

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019 is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is currently no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.