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Most California coronavirus patients are aged 18-64, new data shows

Customers buy supplies at a Costco
Customers buy supplies at a Costco in Burbank on March 6.
(Robyn Beck / AFP)
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California officials on Tuesday released age breakdowns of the coronavirus cases so far as the spread of the disease continued.

The data showed 91 cases of people 18-64 and 60 cases of people 65 and over. There were only two cases of people younger than 18.

There is growing alarm about the toll coronavirus is taking on the elderly, who account for the vast majority of the deaths in the United States.

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People at higher risk include those over the age of 70 and people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, disease of the heart, lung or kidney and those with weakened immune systems. If someone who falls in one of these categories does get sick, early diagnosis is important to allow more time to treat the patient, which may include putting them on oxygen or, when necessary, a ventilator to help them breathe if their lungs begin to fail.

Los Angeles County health officials on Wednesday will begin visiting about 300 assisted care facilities in the county to assess their needs for keeping the residences safe from the coronavirus.

California had 157 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and thousands of residents who may have come in contact with the disease. More than 1,075 Californians have been tested for the coronavirus at 18 labs across the state.

On Monday, Los Angeles County reported the first instance of the virus spreading in the community. A new case was reported Tuesday — the county’s 20th — by health officials who said a traveler returning from Iran tested positive after flying into Los Angeles International Airport. The individual is currently isolated at home.

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management also reported one new case Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 14. The patient, who had known contact with another person who tested positive, is hospitalized, officials said.

OVERALL

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157 Positive cases*

AGE BREAKDOWN

Age 0-17 | 2 cases

Age 18 - 64 | 91 cases

Age 65+ | 60 cases

Unknown | 4 cases

DETAILS

24 cases of positive tests related to federal repatriation flights

133 cases not related to repatriation flights

50 travel-related

30 person-to-person

29 community transmission

24 under investigation

10,300+ Number of people self monitoring who returned to the U.S. through SFO or LAX

* Does not include passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship currently docked in Oakland

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