Editor's Note: This article may not be regularly updated. Please refer to this link to see the latest updates on coronavirus in the DMV.
Virginia recorded 3,505 new coronavirus cases and 77 deaths Thursday. That marks Virginia’s third-largest jump in deaths ever reported. Previous records were set on Sept. 15 when 84 cases were recorded and this Tuesday when 79 deaths were reported in the state.
D.C. reported 267 new cases and seven additional deaths on Thursday. Maryland had 2,190 new cases and 40 deaths.
Seven-day averages increased slightly for the second day in D.C. (from 209 to 217) and Virginia (from 3,411 to 3,461). In Maryland the seven-day average increased by four cases to 2,033.
For two weeks new infections in the D.C. area have been trending downward after record-breaking highs were reported in mid-January, but this new turnabout in the seven-day average could signal the end of the region’s winning streak.
Hospitalizations are still dropping, however. If new infections surge again, we can expect hospitalizations to increase, too. Currently, there are 2,439 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the hospital in Virginia, 1,636 patients in Maryland and 253 hospitalized in D.C.
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Coronavirus Cases in DC, Maryland and Virginia
COVID-19 cases by population in D.C. and by county in Maryland and Virginia
Source: DC, MD and VA Health Departments
Credit: Anisa Holmes / NBC Washington
For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms including fever, shortness of breath and cough. Recovery might take about two weeks. Severe illness including pneumonia can occur, especially in the elderly and people with existing health problems, and recovery could take six weeks in such cases. Other coronavirus related issues can include MIS-C, a rare inflammatory syndrome that affects children.
At the onset of the outbreak essential workers, including law enforcement and grocery store employees, were hit hard by the virus. People living in group or institutional settings are also vulnerable.
Cases in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Health includes probable cases in its county-level data. For the state total NBC Washington is only including confirmed cases.
A Loudoun County schools staff member, two adults in the Peninsula Health District and one person in the Pittsylvania Danville Health District are among more who have died.
The pastor of a Virginia church said he feels blessed to be recovering from an illness made it difficult to even walk up two stairs to his home. "This virus is no joke," said Kenny Baldwin.
A U.S. Marine who is assigned to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County and lives at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Prince William County was the state's first diagnosed case.
One of the first patients diagnosed in Arlington County was "associated with Christ Church in Georgetown," where Washington, D.C.'s, earliest cases were found, county officials said. Several early cases stemmed from that congregation.
Other Virginia residents who were among the first to be diagnosed include: A Loudoun County resident and member of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service in their 40s who tested positive after "attending Christ Church Georgetown," a Fairfax resident in his 80s who went on a Nile River cruise and began to develop symptoms on Feb. 28, his spouse who later tested positive, and one Arlington patient in their 60s who "developed fever, cough and shortness of breath after having returned from international travel," according to officials.
Cases in DC
As of July 22, Bowser also mandated all D.C. residents wear masks upon leaving their homes, with few exceptions, in order to quell the spread of the virus.
At the height of demonstrations against the death of George Floyd, Bowser urged all protestors to get a free COVID-19 test and to continue wearing face masks at protests to prevent the spread.
The mayor has also urged everyone to seek medical care and testing if they need it, regardless of immigration status.
Two city employees, Kenneth Moore, a D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services worker, and George Valentine, a member of the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel, also died. On June 5, a officer Keith Williams became the first D.C. police officer believed to have died from the virus.
More than 30 police officers and firefighters tested positive for the disease and more than 300 were under self-quarantine in April due to exposure concerns.
A rector in his 50s at Christ Church Georgetown was the first person to test positive. He had "no history of international travel and no close contacts with a confirmed case," Bowser said. A 39-year-old organist at the same church later tested positive.
Other D.C. patients who were among the first to be diagnosed include: a man from Nigeria in his 50s who traveled to D.C. then went to Maryland for treatment; a 77-year-old man who attended a conference held in Boston by the biotechnology company Biogen; a 59-year-old man with a history of travel to a Level 3 country; a 58-year-old woman who attended a conference in the District where other positive cases were identified; a 39-year-old man with a history of travel to a Level 3 country; a 24-year-old man with no known exposure; a 59-year-old woman who had contact with a previously identified case in the District and a 69-year-old woman with no known exposure.
Cases in Maryland
Officials announced the state's first coronavirus-related death on March 18. A Prince George's County man in his 60s died, Gov. Larry Hogan said.
A Baltimore County man in his 60s who had underlying medical issues was the state's second death related to the coronavirus, Gov. Larry Hogan said in March.
A 5-year-old girl from Howard County was one of the first children in the region to be confirmed to have coronavirus. A 15-year-old girl from Baltimore County became one of Maryland's youngest known victims of coronavirus, health officials say. She died on May 16.
Other victims include: a Prince George's County high school basketball coach and counselor, a Charles County resident in his 50s, two Baltimore City women with underlying medical conditions, a Wicomico County woman in her 60s and a man in his 90s who was a resident of a Carroll County nursing home.
Among the first diagnosed cases were three people in Montgomery County who were the first patients in the area to be diagnosed after they took a cruise in Egypt, on the Nile River, have fully recovered and can return to their daily lives. They are a woman in her 50s and a married couple in their 70s, who did not travel as a group. A Montgomery County resident in his 60s and a woman in her 60s also later tested positive after visiting Egypt, Hogan said.
What to Know About Coronavirus
Coronavirus is a family of illnesses that include the common cold and the flu and more serious illnesses including SARS. The COVID-19 virus is still being studied, but doctors say symptoms can include those similar to the cold and flu, including mild to severe respiratory symptoms.
Health officials urge people to socially distance and take typical precautions against spreading germs. Stay home unless absolutely necessary. Avoid contact with others. Self-quarantine for two weeks if you have any symptoms of coronavirus, including cough, fever and shortness of breath.
Wash hands often; use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol; don't touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid close contact with anyone who is sick; cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and disinfect frequently used objects and surfaces.
Officials say one of the best ways to prevent becoming ill is to wash your hands frequently.
If you believe you may have coronavirus, call your health provider before you visit so they can prepare and prevent the further spread of germs.
