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

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Saturday, February 29, 2020
Infected COVID-19 Solano County patient shares experience
Robert Young and his wife are coronavirus patients from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan who were evacuated to Travis Air Force base in Fairfield. The Solano county residents are now under a mandatory home-isolation in their Rio Vista.

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.

RELATED: Coronavirus Outbreak: Additional COVID-19 cases confirmed in Solano and Santa Clara counties, officials say

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.

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.

"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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