PIERRE, S.D. — Five people in South Dakota have been confirmed to have coronavirus and one of the infected has died, state officials said Tuesday, March 10.
The state lab got the positive test results early Tuesday afternoon, state health officials said. All those who tested positive had traveled in the past week, although not all internationally. There was no known connection between the patients, state officials said.
One of the individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, died Tuesday morning, but state officials said the man had other underlying medical conditions and it wasn't immediately clear if his death was caused by the coronavirus. The remainder of those who tested positive are are at home, being cared for by health providers.
The positive tests mark the first known cases in South Dakota since state health officials gained the ability to test for the coronavirus at the state health lab last week. The cases are now being forwarded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm the tests, said Gov. Kristi Noem.
"While we wait for the CDC to conduct its tests, the Department of Health staff is working to identify the people who came into close contact with all of these individuals, so that we can decrease the spread of this illness throughout the state," she said.
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According to state officials, those tested positive were:
- Male, age 40-49, in Beadle County;
- Male, age 50-59, in Charles Mix County;
- Female, age 30-39, in Davison County;
- Male, age 40-49, in Minnehaha County;
- Male, age 60-69, in Pennington County (now deceased).
The infected man who died Tuesday will be subject to additional investigation to determine if the virus was factor in his death, said Kim Malsam-Rysdon, state secretary of health.
"There will be a medical examination to help us determine if COVID-19 was a factor," she said. "That has not been confirmed yet, and so when it is, we will certainly let you know."
The state lab received the samples that tested positive Tuesday morning, and had those results by 2:15 p.m, Malsam-Rysdon said.
South Dakota officials have asked the federal government for additional tests to bolster its supply. It currently has enough tests to check about 800 cases for the virus, she said.
Noem said she is not declaring a state of emergency "at this time" or asking for the cancellation of events or schools yet. State officials are "partially activating" the state Emergency Operations Center to assemble those needed for the state's response, she said.
The state has set up a website and toll-free telephone number to provide information to the public on the coronavirus. The website is at covid.sd.gov and the telephone number is 1-800-997-2880.
"I encourage all South Dakotans to take this seriously," Noem said. "Now is the time to prepare, but also stay informed."
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South Dakota now joins over 30 states who have confirmed cases of coronavirus . Nationwide, confirmed cases have topped 800 in recent days, with more than 20 fatalities as of Tuesday afternoon.
