Parson: Woman who studied abroad is first case of Coronavirus in Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced a presumptive positive test of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, at a press conference Saturday night.

The patient, a woman in her 20's, recently returned from studying in Italy. She is one of 26 that the state has tested for the virus. She was tested at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, Parson said.

Officials are working to track down everyone the patient may have contacted. The patient is in self-quarantine, said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.

Page posted a video of the conference on his Facebook page.

Officials from Mercy Hospital said they learned yesterday morning about a patient who needed to be tested for COVID-19. The patient was placed in a negative pressure room by staff using professional safety gear.

Officials at Mercy Hospital sent the patient home after they say she was not sick enough to stay in the hospital.

According to Page, the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory took 24 hours to confirm the presumptive positive test.

Officials say "presumptive" because the test has not yet been approved by the FDA and on average they say it takes five days to confirm a positive test.

Page said this is a travel-related case.

Officials said the patient's quarantine will end 14 days after she has stopped showing symptoms.

Parson said he is "extremely confident" the state is ready to control this case and any that may arise in the future.

The announcement comes as new cases of the virus were reported across the country Saturday.