PresumptivePositive COVID-19 Case Identified in Kansas March 7

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is confirming its first presumptive-positive case of COVID-19 in Kansas. The possible case was identified March 7th with testing sent to KDHE’s Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories (KHEL). KHEL, which is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to perform COVID-19 testing, found presumptive-positive results this afternoon. These results will be verified by the CDC lab but will be treated as positive unless determined otherwise.

The case is located in Johnson County and the patient is currently in home isolation, following the guidance of the CDC. KDHE continues to work with the local health department and CDC to identify and contact people who may have come into contact with the individual while they were infectious, and will monitor them for fever and respiratory symptoms. The patient is a female under the age of 50 years old. No other information will be provided about the patient.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely. In the meantime, the general public can help. Please practice proper public health hygiene;’ Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of KDHE, said. “Wash your hands and stay home if you’re sick”

The 2019 novel coro-navirus infections initially were diagnosed in Wuhan City, China and have been reported in 60 locations internationally, including the United States. There are a number of unknowns with the virus, including how long people are considered contagious. KDHE, along with our community partners, continues to investigate this illness. Treatment for individuals with confirmed cases is supportive care.

If you have recently traveled to China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea and have developed fever with lower respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath within 14 days of your travel, or have had contact with someone with a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider.