Massachusetts health officials its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 since testing started Friday, February 28, at the State Public Health Laboratory. The woman is in her 20s and lives in Norfolk County. She recently traveled to Italy with a school group and was symptomatic. She is recovering at home.
Specimens will be sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and, if confirmed, this would be the second confirmed positive COVID-19 case in Massachusetts since the outbreak started in the US in January. The risk to the public from COVID-19 remains low in Massachusetts.
“We are grateful this individual is recovering,” said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH. “We understand the concern this new virus is causing, and our state’s ability to quickly test for the virus is a positive development. The risk to the public from COVID-19 remains low in Massachusetts.”
Since January, Massachusetts public health officials have tested 12 residents, including the first confirmed case and now the first presumptive positive case. Of those 12, three people have been tested since Friday when the State Public Health Laboratory began testing patients for COVID-19, in accordance with CDC guidelines, after the US Food and Drug Administration gave its approval to use the test kits.
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