SLO County has 71 confirmed coronavirus cases. Number of recovered patients nearly doubled

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in San Luis Obispo County rose to 71 on Sunday with four new patients, but the number of recovered patients has nearly doubled overnight.

Twenty-four cases have completely recovered, while on Saturday only 13 people had recovered, according to the County Public Health Department.

Nine people are hospitalized, including one person who is in the ICU.

The other 38 county residents who tested positive for coronavirus are weathering the illness at home, according to ReadySLO.org.

None of the county’s patients have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Geographically, the North County remains home to the most local patients, with more than half of the county’s confirmed cases.

Broken down by city, Paso Robles has 20 cases, Arroyo Grande has 11, Atascadero has 11, Morro Bay has six, San Luis Obispo have seven, and Templeton and Nipomo have five each. The locations of another five cases are listed as other.

The age range with the highest number of cases is 18 to 47 with 29 cases, followed by 65-plus with 21, 50 to 64 with 18 and under-17 with three.

The Public Health Department has conducted 404 COVID-19 tests, 33 of which have been positive. The other 38 cases have been detected at private labs.

COVID-19 symptoms to watch

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Older adults and individuals with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to the virus.

Health officials urge those who exhibit these symptoms to stay home, avoid contact with others, and call their health care provider or urgent care clinic before seeking medical care to receive safe arrival instructions, if directed to do so.

Go to the emergency room only if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

The county is currently preparing for a surge in cases and has asked qualified volunteers to apply for the Medical Reserve Corps. The corps would be activated in event that hospitals reach capacity and Cal Poly is used as an alternative care site.

To volunteer for the medical corps auxiliary, sign up at HealthcareVolunteers.ca.gov and then email the San Luis Obispo Medical Corps coordinator at slomrc@gmail.com.

Visit ReadySLO.org for the latest public health updates and recommendations.

This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 2:11 PM.