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BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is reporting the state’s second presumptive positive case of COVID-19.
The woman is in her 20s and lives in Norfolk County. State officials said she recently traveled to Italy with a school group and was symptomatic. She is recovering at home.
The woman’s test results came back positive Monday night.
Specimens will be sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, if confirmed, would be the second confirmed positive COVID-19 case in Massachusetts since the outbreak started in the U.S. in January.
A statement from the Department of Public Health stressed in a statement Monday night that 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.”
The first case recorded case in Massachusetts was last month when a man from the Boston area who had returned from China was diagnosed with the virus.
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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval to use the test kits.
As of last week, 608 people have been subject to self-quarantine in Massachusetts because of COVID-19. Of those, 377 people have completed monitoring and are no longer quarantined, while 231 are currently quarantined.
Medical officials said Coronaviruses are respiratory viruses and are generally spread through respiratory secretions (droplets from coughs and sneezes) of an infected person to another person.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath, and, in severe cases, pneumonia.
More information on COVID-19 is available at mass.gov/2019coronavirus.
There have been more than 60 U.S. cases of COVID-19 confirmed. Globally, more than 80,000 cases have been confirmed. Earlier today, the CDC reported four COVID-19-related deaths for a total of 6 deaths in the U.S.
Although the risk of the novel coronavirus to Massachusetts residents remains low, and the risk of the flu is high, people are advised to take many of the same steps they do to help prevent colds and the flu, including:
- Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching your eyes and face.
- Clean things that are frequently touched (like doorknobs and countertops) with household cleaning spray or wipes.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow.
- Stay home when feeling sick.
- Get a flu shot.
Clinicians who have patients they think may have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 must contact DPH via the 24/7 EPI line (617-983-6800).
People who have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19 and who have symptoms of the disease (fever, cough, shortness of breath) should reach out to their healthcare provider and call ahead before going to a healthcare facility.
For more information on COVID-19 visit mass.gov/2019coronavirus.
