Santa Clara County's Dr. Cody says despite progress to slow COVID-19, future uncertain

SAN JOSE, Calif (KTVU) - Santa Clara County supervisors remain vigilant against the continued spread of COVID-19. The woman at the center of that fight spoke with KTVU in a one-on-one interview.

Amid the ongoing shelter-in-place order, Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said people are still trying to adjust to the new normal.  

Cody believes the past three weeks mandating people stay in their homes, resulting in a ghost town like look and feel, is producing tangible results.
 
“We’re beginning to see some soft signs that the shelter-in-place is protecting our healthcare system,” she said. “The number of new cases per day is, you know, it’s bouncing around a little bit but it’s not zooming up.”
 
Cody says the rate of increase is slowing but has not started a downward tilt. So far, 11% of the people tested in Santa Clara County have tested positive for COVID-19. Most patients are between the ages of 31 and 60, split almost evenly between men and women. Cody said there’s still a danger of infection for anyone who ventures outside and coming into contact with others. Reinfection does not seem to be an issue. 
 
“What it looks like, is that people who are infected, then remain immune. And would not become reinfected,” she said.
 
Currently, there are over 1,200 cases in Santa Clara County with 42 deaths attributed to the coronavirus. Officials said the county's health care system has not been swamped with patients. 
 
“We did open our field respite center, and we have a handful of patients there that are receiving care. I think that our county it’s been an enormous collaborative effort with all of our hospitals and partners, getting ready,” said Cody.
 
With the country approaching a virus surge, Cody said despite glimmers of progress in the South Bay, it’s still too soon to know when restrictions can be lifted, allowing people to return to their normal lives.
 
“There’s no oracle to turn to, to tell us when this is going to end, and what the future is going to hold. Because the honest answer is, we don’t know,” she said.

 Cody said local and state governments will need to be extraordinarily careful in how restrictions are lifted to prevent a rebound that could overwhelm the health care system.