New Evidence: Coronavirus in Bay Area Since Mid-January

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Long before the first officially recorded coronavirus death in the U.S., the virus was active and deadly in the Bay Area.

That’s the conclusion of Dr. Sara Cody, health director in Santa Clara county, after two deaths reported in early February were conclusively traced to the coronavirus.

Tissue samples taken during autopsies on two Santa Clara county residents, a man and a woman who died in early February, were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Tuesday heath officials say those samples came back positive for the coronavirus.

Now those findings have prompted the state to direct other counties, including Sonoma County, to take another look at deaths as early as December to determine how, and to what degree, the coronavirus was spreading. Sonoma County public heath director Dr. Sundari Mase says her office will be conducting testing on tissue samples taken from autopsies in the coming weeks.

In the case of Santa Clara county, the two individuals tested, a 57 year old woman who died in her home on February 6th, and a 69 year old man who died in his home on February 17th, are now considered the earliest confirmed coronavirus deaths in the United States.

Previously it was believed that the first U.S. coronavirus death took place on February 29th in Kirkland Washington. Now heath officials believe the virus was not only active but taking lives in Santa Clara county weeks before the Washington state outbreak made headlines.

According to the Santa Clara county health director, the deaths mean that not only was the virus present, but community transmission was taking place in the South Bay far earlier than previously believed.

Although the first reported case of coronavirus was detected on January 21st in Washington state, health officials now believe that community transmission was taking place in Santa Clara county by early to mid-January. That’s because neither of the two new confirmed deaths were associated with travel. That means they likely came about through community spread.

On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom revealed new details of ramped-up state testing that he and other officials say will be a key component of any plan to reopen parts of the state economy. This includes greatly expanding testing statewide to more accurately track the virus, and extend that testing into many more of the state’s most vunerable communities.