MA Coronavirus: 2nd 'Presumptive' Positive In Middlesex County

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MA — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Thursday evening they have identified a second "presumptive positive" case of the novel coronavirus. Testing presumptive positive means they tested positive at the state lab, but haven't been confirmed by CDC.

Health officials said a woman in her 60s who lives in Middlesex County became symptomatic after she got back from a recent trip to Europe that included a stop in northern Italy.

Health officials said she does not require hospitalization and is recovering at home. They did not say which part of the county she was from or what day she came back into the country.

"We appreciate this patient’s cooperation,” said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel. "While the risk to Massachusetts remains low, residents should make sure they and their families are well-informed about COVID-19 and heed the CDC’s updated international travel health alert."

Since January, Massachusetts has tested 25 residents, including the first confirmed case in Boston and the first presumptive positive case in the state in Norfolk County.

Massachusetts health officials announced Wednesday that more than 700 people have been under quarantine 259 of them are still under home quarantine and self-monitoring for coronavirus symptoms.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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