Flurry Of New Coronavirus Cases Reported In Florida

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Eight more cases of the new coronavirus were reported Tuesday night in Florida, including a Georgia woman who is in Alachua County, three people in Collier County, two people in Pinellas County, one person in Nassau County and one person in Pasco County.

The new cases bring the total number of Florida residents with the illness to 26 plus one person from California and one from Georgia, according to the Florida Department of Health. See county-by-county breakdown at the bottom of this story.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday that will free up additional resources to respond to the virus and allow physicians from other states to practice in Florida for the duration of the order. See Florida Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus

Florida's first two deaths from the new coronavirus were reported Friday involving elderly patients in Santa Rosa County and Lee County, both of whom suffered from serious underlying conditions. See: Interactive Map: Latest US Coronavirus Cases

Five of Florida's confirmed cases involve people who had traveled to China and were placed in quarantine by federal officials.

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. 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

As of Tuesday night, there had been a total of 119,027 confirmed cases of the illness and 4,284 deaths around the world, with the vast majority in Hubei, China, according to information compiled by Johns Hopkins University. A total of 65,761 people have recovered from the illness. Don’t miss updates about precautions in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

While spring break has already sprung in parts of Florida, the spread of the new coronavirus has taken its toll on this year's annual rite of passage with a greater number of cancellations and fewer breakers thus far this season to fill the hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. See New Coronavirus Hits Florida's Spring Break

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.

Health officials said there haven't been any asymptomatic transmissions of the illness, meaning that people can only acquire COVID-19 from somebody who has 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.

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.

Here is a county-by-county breakdown of the new coronavirus cases involving Florida residents and people visiting Florida:

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