Huntington Hospital Screening All Patients for Signs of Communicable Diseases as First Coronavirus Case Reported in Orange County

[Updated] The Huntington Hospital said in a statement Friday it has no patients under treatment for a virulent virus responsible for a fast-moving outbreak that has spread from China to a half-dozen other countries, including the U.S.

The respiratory illness is being caused by a novel coronavirus (known as 2019-nCoV), according to the Huntington Hospital’s Infection Prevention Department.

“Huntington Hospital is not caring for any patients identified as having 2019-nCoV at this time,” the hospital’s statement reads.

Late Saturday night, The Orange County Health Care Agency’s Communicable Disease Control Division announced it had received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that an Orange County visitor has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

There are no cases reported in Los Angeles County.

“Huntington Hospital will continue to screen all patients entering our facility for signs and symptoms of communicable diseases and implement infection prevention and control practices to protect our patients, visitors, and staff.”

The hospital statement went on to say that “everyone in the community should continue to follow basic infection prevention practices – including cleaning hands with soap and water or alcohol based hand rub, covering your cough, and avoiding close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.”