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Colorado Infection Prevention Specialist Surprised By Mysterious U.S. Coronavirus Case So Soon

DENVER (CBS4) - "Certainly we didn't expect that it would happen this soon," said Dr. Michelle Barron, director of infection prevention at UCHealth about a mysterious coronavirus case in California.

One person in Solano County between San Francisco and Sacramento diagnosed with the virus has no known history of travel to an infected area and no known contact with any infected person. The method of transmission may be known as "community spread," a scenario that is of deep concern to experts watching the virus because there is a question about what might be the missing link.

Michelle Barron
Dr. Michelle Barron (credit: CBS)

Barron spoke with CBS4 about that risk on CBS4 This Morning. "I think that the part that is taxing everybody's minds at this moment in terms of it's not associated with travel, we know that," said Barron.

Four more people are being tested for the novel coronavirus in Colorado after a week with no new concern of infection. That is in addition to 12 tested as of two weeks ago -- none of whom had the virus. The closest known cases are in Arizona. Some of those suffering with coronavirus have been taken to Nebraska for treatment.

The spread of coronaviruses typically lay off in the warmer months. Barron remarked on why colder months are periods during which there is more transmission.

"In addition to just staying indoors there's obviously differences in humidity and temperature and we're probably a little bit more in dryness and it's colder you obviously are in heat and other things that dry out your mucus membranes," she said.

She also added that the flu, due to its raw numbers, is still a greater danger in spite of a mortality rate that is about one-twentieth that of coronavirus. And children under the age of 9, so far, represent only a small proportion of those affected. That comes as Japan on Thursday suspended schools for a month amid worries about its spread.

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Once there is a community-wide spread, said Barron, "We'll see if that holds true."

LINKS: Coronavirus In Colorado Statistics From Department Of Health & Environment | Coronavirus Statistics From CDC

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