Essential Supplies Run Low As Bay Area Coronavirus Cases Increase
EMERYVILLE (KPIX 5) -- Public health departments across the Bay Area are warning that more cases of COVID-19 are expected, so now is the time to prepare for increased community spread. A routine trip to buy essentials looked anything but this past weekend. The toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, flour and hand sanitizer sections at Target in Emeryville were nearly cleaned out.
Paul Edmondson of Oakland picked up the last of whatever basic essentials were left.
"They didn't have water, they didn't have most of the canned goods that we were looking for, last corned beef hash, yeah everything," he said.
The increased demand comes as Alameda County and Solano County reported that two health care workers are presumed positive for the coronavirus disease--pending test results from the CDC.
They both tended to the first community-acquired coronavirus patient.
"They cared for this patient while the patient was at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital well before there was any reason to suspect that the patient had coronavirus," said Dr. Bela Matyas, Solano County Health Officer.
Now Solano Public Health says it has asked providers to protect themselves more aggressively when dealing with any patient with respiratory disease.
"One of the things we learned about this coronavirus is that there are many people who can pass the virus, who are infectious who show no symptoms. Many more who show symptoms who are so mild, you wouldn't know that it's coronavirus versus common cold," Matyas added.
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COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
The Santa Clara County Public Health Department confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. The latest patients include a husband and wife that recently traveled to Egypt. One partner has chronic health conditions. An adult woman, also with chronic health conditions, has been hospitalized.
The Lakhians just moved to the East Bay this weekend from Seattle.
"Mostly like disinfectant wipes, paper towels, medicine, like Advil, Tylenol, they were all out of that stuff so yeah, it's pretty crazy," said Akiran Lakhian of Oakland.
Experts emphasize that the best way to slow the spread of the disease is partaking in simple, basic precautions like washing your hands and not touching your face.