CDC Adds Presumptive Positive Category to Coronavirus Case Count

Posted on February 28, 2020

The CDC has added a category called Presumptive Positive to its Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S. page. There are currently no presumptive positive cases and 15 confirmed cases. There are also 47 repatriated cases from the Diamond Princess and Wuhan, China.

The addition of presumptive positive cases looks to be the effort by the CDC to get quicker results and have local laboratories test patients. If the local laboratory test for coronavirus gets a positive result the case will be considered a presumptive positive case. A final test at CDC will then determine if it is a confirmed case.

Here is the definition of presumptive positive from the CDC: "A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health laboratory and is pending confirmatory testing at CDC."

COVID-19