As the new coronavirus continues to take its toll in China, where it originated, reports have surfaced that it has now infected four people in the U.S., the latest victims located in Los Angeles, California.

The two new cases have cropped up in Los Angeles County and Orange County respectively. There were already two cases that sprung up in Chicago and Washington State, all from people traveling back from Wuhan, China.

"Because novel coronavirus is new, we are learning more each day about transmission patterns and incubation periods," Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, said in a statement. "We will keep everyone informed as more information becomes available."

Although the spread of the disease has been relatively contained, experts argue that US hospitals are not equipped to deal with a full-scale outbreak.

This is because when "infection control was not a high priority" as was the case with SARS in Canada, then people can contract the disease in hospitals and other treatment centers. In fact, when SARS hit Canada a report found that "Poor adherence to infection-control protocols was to blame. Staff failed to wear masks and disposable gowns and didn't wear face shields while inserting breathing tubes down patients' airways. After the initial Toronto patient was finally admitted to a hospital room, it took five more hours for him to be isolated."

On the other hand, China has cracked down hard on the containment of coronavirus, sending hundreds of doctors to the source of the virus, Wuhan, to build a second special-purpose clinic. The operation also involves the repurposing of twenty-four standing hospitals as specialized wards. Coronavirus has now killed at least 56 people and infected more than 2,000 others.

Doctors said they will keep a close eye on close contacts of all of the patients for at least 14 days for any symptoms. However, officials say that anyone who has just been in the same place as infected people, in a store for instance, are at "minimal risk for developing infection."