Health Care

Minnesota reports first presumptive coronavirus case

Minnesota health officials announced Friday that they have detected the first likely case of the coronavirus in the state. 

The patient in question is considered a “presumptive” case because they tested positive in a state-administered test but have not yet received results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

According to Minnesota health officials, the patient is “an older adult” in the St. Paul area who recently traveled on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, from which a majority of the U.S. cases have stemmed. The CDC has warned that the elderly are the most at risk from the respiratory virus.

Minnesota joins Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Maryland and Texas in identifying new cases of the virus on Friday. The CDC confirmed two cases in Texas as positive Thursday evening. 

As of Friday, there are more than 100,000 cases of the virus worldwide and 3,400 deaths have been reported in more than 80 countries. That total includes 233 U.S. cases and 14 deaths as of this morning.