Santa Clara County's First Confirmed Coronavirus Victim Free To Leave Home Quarantine

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Santa Clara County's first coronavirus patient has recovered from the illness and can now leave his home quarantine and return to normal life, health officials announced Thursday.

The patient -- who was never identified publicly by health officials -- was diagnosed with coronavirus on Jan. 31 after returning from a visit to Wuhan, China -- the epicenter of the current outbreak.

"He was never sick enough to be hospitalized," Marianna Moles, Santa Clara County's public health communications officer, said in an emailed statement. "He was isolated at home and was monitored by public health staff for the duration of his isolation."

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Dr. Sara Cody, the county's director of public health, told local officials on Wednesday that the county's second confirmed coronavirus patient was still being treated. She had traveled to the county from China on Jan. 23.

The virus has reportedly spread from Wuhan to 16 countries and killed more than 2,000 people worldwide.

"I would say the biggest challenge is this is a new virus and there's still a lot we don't know," Cody said. "We still don't know basic information like: how long is someone infectious?"

But Cody maintained that the coronavirus was not circulating through the public. Still, she urged the public to be cautious.

"No one really knows what's going to happen next," Cody said. "We are all still learning."

She said flights into Mineta San Jose International Airport that require screening are presently redirected to other airports.

And while the county cannot immediately test to confirm a suspected case of the virus -- only the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can do that, Cody said -- the county could "probably in a matter of days" be able to conduct such tests, though there is not yet a certain date.

"Again, we have no evidence that the virus is circulating," Cody said.