Novel coronavirus patient from Solano County shares how it feels to be infected

Friday, February 28, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Solano County is now responsible for the care of two additional people with the Coronavirus. Both live in the county, and until Friday was the responsibility of the Centers for Disease Control.

The two patients were aboard the Diamond Princess ship under quarantine in Japan, until they were flown to Travis Air Force Base.

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They had already tested positive for Coronavirus in Japan. The CDC confirmed one was positive and are waiting for results on the other. But, since they both live in Solano County, the county health department is now responsible for them.
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The confirmed patient is retired firefighter, Robert Young who is currently being isolated and monitored in his Rio Vista home. ABC7 News spoke to Young over the phone and he shared this experience was something he'd never expected.

"I'm a career firefighter paramedic, I thought I've seen everything in the world. No, this doesn't even come close to it," Young said.



Dr. Bela Matyas with the county health department said: "By doing that we were able to send them into their homes. So they're doing home isolation - much more comfortable for them instead of being in the hospital.

Neither patient is showing any symptoms, but are being tested each day to see when the virus clears out of their bloodstream and they can no longer spread the virus.

CORONAVIRUS: What to know about COVID-19 in California, how it's affecting San Francisco Bay Area

Young relies on friends and family to care for his pets and get basic daily supplies.
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"It's absolutely an ordeal. We have pets that, thank God our children are taking care of in another city," Young said. "The simple things like getting groceries, and toilet paper and sundries, we are at the mercy of family and friends purchasing it for us and then putting it in the driveway, then we pick it up. We can't have any direct contact."

The third Solano case is a woman who was treated at Northbay Vacavalley hospital before being transferred to another hospital where she tested positive.

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