New Coronavirus Patient Visited Virginia Theological Seminary

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Alexandria Health Department is urging self-monitoring after a DC resident confirmed to have the new coronavirus visited the Immanuel Chapel of the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.

An 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.

A statement from the health department reads, "While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider this type of exposure to be low risk, the Alexandria Health Department recommends that anyone who visited the Immanuel Chapel on those dates monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days from their last visit."

Get the latest updates on the new coronavirus in Alexandria as they happen. Sign up for news alerts and a newsletter in your Patch town.

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.

There are no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Alexandria, but the Virginia Department of Health confirmed eight presumptive positive cases statewide. Five of the patients are in Northern Virginia: 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.

SEE ALSO: Virginia Coronavirus Updates: What You Need To Know

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can cause mild to more severe respiratory illness. In a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can cause death, particularly among those who are older or who have chronic medical conditions. According to the CDC, COVID-19 is thought to spread between people within six feet of each other through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The Alexandria Health Department recommends the following tips to limit the spread of the new coronavirus:

• 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.

The City of Alexandria and local partners will hold a virtual session on preparations for COVID-19 Thursday, March 12 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The online session will be available at alexandriava.gov/Health. More information and updates on COVID-19 are provided by the Alexandria Health Department, the Virginia Department of Health and CDC.