First Florida Deaths Reported From New Coronavirus

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Health officials late Friday night confirmed the deaths of the first two Florida residents from the new coronavirus as the total number of confirmed cases among Florida residents has risen to 12, including four new cases discovered in South Florida.

"The Florida Department of Health is working closely with the patients, potential close contacts of each case and health care providers to isolate and monitor persons who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and implement testing of anyone who may develop COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough or shortness of breath," health officials said.

One of the deaths was that of an elderly patient who was identified by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday as a resident of Santa Rosa County. Don’t miss updates about precautions in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

"That is somebody who did have underlying conditions and then is — I think he’s over the age of 70 — and had been doing international travel," DeSantis said.

The other patient was also elderly but he had not previously been included in the list of Florida cases.

"A new individual in their seventies that tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 in Lee County has died, following an international trip," Florida Department of Health reported.

The other new cases include a 75-year-old man in Broward County, who is isolated and will remain so until cleared by health officials.

The second presumptive case involves a 65-year-old man in Broward County, who will also remain isolated until cleared by public health officials.

On Saturday, the Department of Health confirmed a second case in Lee County.

"The individual is isolated and being appropriately cared for," state officials said.

DeSantis also announced Saturday he is placing the Division of Emergency Management on an elevated state of alert to deal with the public health emergency.

“I have directed the Division of Emergency Management to activate to Level II to ensure our state has all the necessary resources engaged as we respond to COVID-19,” DeSantis said. “It is critical that we proactively coordinate all state resources to mitigate the threat and contain COVID-19. I urge all Floridians to take necessary precautions and follow hygiene guidelines issued by the Surgeon General and Florida Department of Health.”

DeSantis disclosed Thursday that five of Florida's confirmed cases involved people who had traveled to China and were placed in quarantine by federal officials. He said the five did not pose a public health threat to Florida.

A New York attorney who tested positive for the new coronavirus also traveled to Miami in early February — days or weeks before he became ill. But he is not counted in the total because he is a resident of New York. See New York Coronavirus Patient Had Traveled To Miami In February and Coronavirus Outbreak: Tips To Prepare At Home

The sister of a Hillsborough County woman who tested positive for the illness also tested positive but she is a resident of California and therefore not included in the Florida total.

In addition to the Hillsborough woman, who is in her 20s, DeSantis said earlier this week that a man in his 60s from Manatee County tested positive. He is hospitalized with pneumonia.

With the threat of the new coronavirus looming, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced Friday the city has asked two of its largest festivals — Ultra Music Festival and Calle Ocho Festival — to postpone their 2020 events later this month. See Ultra And Calle Ocho 'Postponed' Over Coronavirus

The worldwide total of new coronavirus cases for the first time on Friday surpassed the 100,000 mark, according to information compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

DeSantis has already declared a health emergency in Florida. Updates regarding the new coronavirus are posted on the Florida Health website.

COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when someone coughs or sneezes. These droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract the virus by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

As of early Saturday, there had been a total of 102,180 confirmed cases of the illness and 3,491deaths around the world, with the vast majority in Hubei, China, according to information compiled by Johns Hopkins University. A total of 57,389people have recovered from the illness.

Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure. Most people recover from COVID-19 without special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems, obesity and diabetes are more likely to develop serious illness, the health department said.

DeSantis said health officials are paying particular attention to the state's nursing homes and assisted-living communities.

Public Health Guidance On Virus Prevention:

• Do not go to an emergency room unless absolutely essential. Those with symptoms including a cough, fever, or other respiratory issues are advised to contact their regular doctor first.
• If you are sick, stay home.
• Commit to excellent personal hygiene, including regular hand-washing, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Monitor the latest information on COVID-19 in Florida and across the United States:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Florida Department of Health

What is the new coronavirus?

The symptoms of the new coronavirus are similar to seasonal influenza, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Both are infectious respiratory illnesses, but they're caused by different viruses.

Both cause fever, cough, body aches and fatigue, and both can result in pneumonia. Both illnesses can sometimes cause vomiting and diarrhea and can be spread from person to person by sneezing, coughing or talking.

Common good-health practices such as frequent hand-washing, covering coughs and staying home from work or school if sick, can help control both illnesses.

Neither respond to antibiotic treatment, but both may be treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever.

There are some distinct differences between COVID-19 and the Flu: Flu is caused by several types of viruses, while COVID-19 is caused by the new coronavirus, which is also called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.

Johns Hopkins said there is some evidence COVID-19 could be airborne "meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near."

There is no vaccine to protect against the new coronavirus as there is against influenza. Scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus, although none currently exists.

A company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has shipped vials of its novel coronavirus vaccine to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for further research.

Patch Editor Deb Belt and Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.