Coronavirus: Amidst concerns, more travelers go into isolation in California
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KABC) -- Little Annabel and her dad Frank Wucinski were confined to a single room at Rady Children's hospital in San Diego.
Dr. John Bradley, the medical director of infectious diseases at the hospital, said "We have a beautiful 4-year-old girl and her father."
Wucinski and his daughter arrived with 162 other American citizens evacuated from Wuhan China amid the coronavirus outbreak. Three others are also being isolated at a nearby hospital after exhibiting symptoms. Doctors are awaiting test results from the CDC.
"All of these patients are doing very well and are very stable," said Dr. Francesca Torriani, program director of infection prevention at UC San Diego Health
The rest are being quarantined at Marine Corp Air Station Miramar.
At March Air Reserve Base, a second child was taken to the hospital after developing a fever. Doctors say most of the illnesses has been mild.
Torriani said, "In this coronavirus, the estimates of death are less than two percent."
In China, two infants have tested positive for coronavirus. Doctors don't know if the infection was passed in utero. What they do know is that once the novel coronavirus enters the body, it takes over cell by cell.
Pulmonologist Dr. Eli Hendel said, "When the virus enters that cell, the virus' DNA or RNA, depending on what the virus, directs the cell to do what the virus code tells it."
Anti-viral medications like the ones used for flu are now being tested for this coronavirus.
"There are potentially anti-viral medications if they got really sick," Bradley said, "We need investigational approvals through the FDA, but we're not anywhere near that."
The CDC announced it started sending testing kits to other labs across the U.S. It's a move that could help patients like Annabel and her dad get home sooner.
