SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Medical staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday evening said four of the 167 evacuees that arrived in San Diego on a plane from Wuhan, China have been determined to have a fever or a cough that warranted them being transported to a local hospitals for further evaluation.
Two adults have been transported to UC San Diego Health, and one adult and a child were transported to Rady Children's Hospital. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Father and daughter at Rady Children's Hospital.
Rady Children's Hospital talked about being prepared for this scenario before information about the passengers were released, "We use the same type of standard protective gear which include gowns masks, eyewear," said Nicholas Holmes, M.D. Senior V. and C.O.O at Rady Children's Hospital.
The medical transports are a part of CDC's plan to ensure that anyone showing signs of illness consistent with coronavirus during their quarantine period will be transported to a nearby medical facility for isolation, evaluation, and care as needed.
Health officials with the CDC said they would provide additional updates as warranted.
The flight sent to San Diego was one of two carrying a total of roughly 350 American evacuees from Wuhan. Both flights arrived Wednesday morning at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California. One remained there while the other continued on to MCAS Miramar after refueling.
The passengers on both flights will undergo a 14-day quarantine, as ordered by the CDC.
Upon arrival, and continuing throughout the quarantine period, CDC medical personnel will screen each passenger individually, including temperature checks and observing respiratory behavior.
The evacuees will reside at the MCAS Miramar Consolidated Bachelor's Quarters or Miramar Inn, said Capt. Matthew Gregory, director of communications for the air base.
During their stay there, the evacuees will be provided food, water and other items by the Department of Health and Human Services. Department of Defense personnel will not have direct contact with any of those returning from China, Gregory said.
China reports deaths from new virus rise by 73 to 563, number of confirmed cases jump by 3,694 to 28,018. The respiratory illness is treatable, and many patients are recovering, according to reports.
There have been 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S., with six of those in California, including one case each in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Temporary quarantine and processing sites have been established at major airports, including LAX.
The virus was first identified by the Chinese government on Dec. 31, when authorities indicated an unknown pneumonia variant was infecting residents of Hubei province.
UC San Diego Health released the following statement:
As the region's only academic health system, UC San Diego Health is fully prepared to care for adult patients with 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). We specialize in the care of patients with complex illnesses, including infectious diseases that are more virulent and deadly than 2019-nCoV. Two patients, who arrived aboard a plane from China to MCAS Miramar on February 5, are currently being evaluated for 2019-nCoV at UC San Diego Health.
In addition to our standard infectious disease protocols, we have instituted a number of additional measures to screen patients with potential 2019-nCoV – and prevent potential spread of virus. UC San Diego Health is screening patients to ensure that we are taking all precautions for any individuals who have traveled from China and who might have symptoms of 2019-nCoV. Our commitment to safely care for our patients and our team members is our top priority. To this end, we are working closely with our local public health department, the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the needs of everyone who walks through our doors.
Rady Children's Hospital said any comment or statements would be coming from the CDC.