Alexandria's First Presumptive New Coronavirus Case Confirmed

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria has its first presumptive case of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, the Alexandria Health Department announced late Wednesday. The Alexandria resident is isolated at home and "doing well," the health department says.

The case comes after the Alexandria Health Department learned a DC resident associated with Christ Church in Georgetown spent time at the Immanuel Chapel of the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. A person associated with Christ Church tested positive for the new coronavirus, leading DC Health to advise a self-quarantine to those who visited on certain dates. One of the close contacts was the Alexandria resident who tested positive for COVID-19.

The test was conducted by the state's Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services in Richmond. The presumptive positive result means the test is pending confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The Alexandria Health Department and the City of Alexandria have been preparing for this," said Dr. Stephen Haering, director of the Alexandria Health Department. "COVID-19 is an evolving situation, and we will continue to share information as it becomes available. Based on our current investigation, the general Alexandria community is still at low risk for COVID-19."

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The Alexandria Health Department's investigation with the Virginia Department of Health determined congregants and visitors to the Immanuel Chapel between Feb. 26 and March 4 may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The local health department identified and contacted people who had close contact with the DC resident with COVID-19, advising them to self-quarantine. Congregants and visitors who were at Immanuel Chapel on those dates are urged to monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days from their last visit.

Self-monitoring entails checking body temperature twice a day and monitoring for symptoms of cough, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. If a person who was potentially exposed at Immanuel Chapel has any of the symptoms within 14 days of visiting, he or she should self-quarantine and limit contact with others. The individual should also call the Alexandria Health Department at 703-746-4988 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

As of Wednesday, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed nine presumptive cases of the new coronavirus, a number that doesn't include the Alexandria case and others that may have been confirmed. The other cases in Northern Virginia include a Loudoun County resident believed to have come in contact with a person with the coronavirus while attending Christ Church Georgetown, a Fairfax City couple who went on a Nile River cruise, a Marine assigned to Marine Corps Base Quantico who was in Ethiopia for official business and is being treated on Fort Belvoir, and an Arlington resident who had recently returned from international travel.

The new coronavirus, a respiratory illness, was first identified during December 2019 in Wuhan, China. It can range from mild to more severe illness, and some severe cases resulting in death. People who are older or have chronic medical conditions have a higher risk or developing a more serious illness.

Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing and can appear two to 14 days after exposure. According to the CDC, COVID-19 is thought to spread between people within six feet of each other primarily through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

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Alexandria's first new coronavirus case will be discussed in a virtual session held by the City of Alexandria and local partners on Thursday, March 12 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The online session will be available at alexandriava.gov/Health. The Alexandria Health Department recommends the following tips to mitigate the spread of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands often by rubbing them together with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you can’t wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Questions about the new coronavirus can be directed to the Alexandria COVID-19 Information Line at 703-746-4988, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information and updates are available from the Alexandria Health Department, Virginia Department of Health and CDC.