The third confirmed case of coronavirus in Santa Clara County is an older woman who differs from the two previously identified cases because she “does not have a travel history nor any known contact with a traveler or infected person, officials said Friday. The woman has chronic health conditions and had been hospitalized with a respiratory illness, the county Public Health Department said in a news release.
The county tested her specimens Thursday at the request of the woman’s infectious disease physician and the department is now trying to identify contacts she may have had, officials said.
“This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission but the extent is still not clear,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer for Santa Clara County and Director of the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department in a press release. “I understand this may be concerning to hear, but this is what we have been preparing for. Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow down the spread of the disease.”