Reverend in his 50s is the first Washington DC resident to test positive for coronavirus as Amtrak suspends its nonstop service between the capital and New York due to lack of demand

  • Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Saturday that the initial coronavirus case to come out of the District of Columbia was a man in his 50s 
  • On Sunday, health officials said they had determined that 'an individual's visitation to Christ Church Georgetown warrants precautionary measures' 
  • They recommended the church cancel services, leading the church to identify the Rev. Timothy Cole as the victim
  • The reverend was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night
  • From Tuesday to May 31, Amtrak will be taking its Acela service off the tracks due to lack of demand
  • The company previously said it would waive ticket change fees 

Amtrak has suspended its non-stop service to New York and a church service was canceled Sunday after its reverend was the first person confirmed to have coronavirus in Washington DC

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Saturday that the initial case to come out of the District of Columbia was a man in his 50s, and the following day Christ Church revealed that one of its senior leaders tested positive for COVID-19.

The Rev. Timothy Cole, the church rector, was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night, according to a statement from the Rev. Crystal Hardin, the assistant rector.

'Out of an abundance of caution, has canceled all activities including church services until further notice. We recommend that concerned community members contact their health care providers,' the statement said.

The Rev. Timothy Cole of Christ Church in Georgetown was the first person in Washington DC to test positive for coronavirus

The Rev. Timothy Cole of Christ Church in Georgetown was the first person in Washington DC to test positive for coronavirus

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Saturday that the initial case to come out of the District of Columbia was a man in his 50s but didn't initially identify the man

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Saturday that the initial case to come out of the District of Columbia was a man in his 50s but didn't initially identify the man

From Tuesday to May 31, Amtrak will be taking its Acela service off the tracks due to lack of demand

From Tuesday to May 31, Amtrak will be taking its Acela service off the tracks due to lack of demand

'Above all else, we know that whether we meet in person or in spirit, not one of us is alone while we have each other. And, we firmly believe that we are held in God´s embrace through it all. Praying without ceasing for all affected, for all in fear, and for all who are working to find solutions.' 

As of Sunday evening 537 people in the US had tested positive for COVID-19 and 21 people had died.

Globally 109,835 people tested positive for coronavirus and and 3,803 people had died.  

From Tuesday to May 31, Amtrak will be taking its Acela service off the tracks due to lack of demand. There had not been any coronavirus-related travel restrictions between New York and Washington DC.

'We are closely monitoring the coronavirus and are taking action based on guidance from public health experts,' Amtrak said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the company had waived change fees.

'We understand you may have concerns, and as a valued customer we will waive change fees on all existing or new reservations made before April 30, 2020,' Amtrak said in a statement. 'We will continue to monitor the coronavirus situation closely and adjust this policy as necessary.'

As well as the reverend, a second local positive test involves a man who visited the Washington area from Nigeria, but he was being hospitalized in Maryland, Bowser said. 

The reverend started exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 in late February. He was admitted to a Washington hospital on Thursday and appeared to have no history of international travel and no close contacts to any other confirmed cases across the U.S., Bowser said.

However, the man was tested for COVID-19 because he was considered to be at risk for complications, said Dr. Anjali Talwalkar, the principal senior deputy director for the district´s health department. 

On Sunday, health officials said they had determined as part of their investigation that 'an individual's visitation to Christ Church Georgetown (pictured) warrants precautionary measures' and recommended the church cancel services

On Sunday, health officials said they had determined as part of their investigation that 'an individual's visitation to Christ Church Georgetown (pictured) warrants precautionary measures' and recommended the church cancel services

Cole, the church rector, was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night, according to a statement

Cole, the church rector, was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night, according to a statement

'With his test yielding presumptive positive, D.C. Health has started its investigation in keeping with CDC guidelines,' Bowser said. 

According to the church's website, Cole has been the rector since September 2016. 'He brings with him the depth of his experience in service with and to young people and families, a dedication to pastoral care and community building through outreach and prayer, a joy in traditional liturgy and music, and a commitment to scripture,' the site says. He is married and has two children. 

The second man, who passed through Washington, is also in his 50s and lives in Nigeria, but had been staying with family members in Washington recently, officials said. He tested positive in Maryland, where he remains hospitalized, Bowser said.

On Sunday, health officials said they had determined as part of their investigation that 'an individual's visitation to Christ Church Georgetown warrants precautionary measures.' 

They recommended a temporary halt to services.

In response, the church publicly identified Cole as the victim.

In a statement, they recommended the church temporarily halt services, and district health officials were reaching out to congregants and visitors. The church's rector did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

'We are currently conducting an intensive investigation to identify any exposures to COVID-19 that may have occurred at the church,' the statement said.

President Donald Trump said he wasn't concerned 'at all' about the coronavirus getting closer to the White House after the first Washington case was confirmed and officials said an attendee of a recent political conference in the capital where Trump himself had spoken also tested positive for the virus

President Donald Trump said he wasn't concerned 'at all' about the coronavirus getting closer to the White House after the first Washington case was confirmed and officials said an attendee of a recent political conference in the capital where Trump himself had spoken also tested positive for the virus

Officials had no plans to cancel any events, including the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which starts on March 20 and draws thousands of tourists.

'We recognize that it is fluid and every day we will monitor the situation on the ground in the district,' Bowser said.

Officials also stressed they were prepared for the spread of the virus and have been coordinating preparedness with a variety of agencies.

Dr. Jennifer Smith, who leads Washington's public health laboratory, said officials have the capability of testing about 50 patients per day. The district has also ordered more than 42,000 masks to be delivered to the district's fire and emergency medical workers, officials said.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS?

Like other coronaviruses, including those that cause the common cold and that triggered SARS, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness.  

  • The most common symptoms are: 
  • Fever 
  • Dry cough 
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing 
  • Fatigue 

Although having a runny nose doesn't rule out coronavirus, it doesn't thus far appear to be a primary symptom. 

Most people only become mildly ill, but the infection can turn serious and even deadly, especially for those who are older or have underlying health conditions.  

In these cases, patients develop pneumonia, which can cause: 

  • Potentially with yellow, green or bloody mucus
  • Fever, sweating and shaking chills
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Rapid or shallow breathing 
  • Pain when breathing, especially when breathing deeply or coughing 
  • Low appetite, energy and fatigue 
  • Nausea and vomiting (more common in children) 
  • Confusion (more common in elderly people)
  • Some patients have also reported diarrhea and kidney failure has occasionally been a complication. 

Avoid people with these symptoms. If you develop them, call your health care provider before going to the hospital or doctor, so they and you can prepare to minimize possible exposure if they suspect you have coronavirus. 

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Officials said they were in contact with their counterparts at health departments across the U.S., including in New York and California, after two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee event in Washington were diagnosed with coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Maryland officials warned Saturday that a person who attended the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in the suburb of Oxon Hill had tested positive for the virus. 

Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the conference. The White House said Saturday there was no indication that either had met or were in 'close proximity' to the infected attendee.

When asked whether his campaign rallies would would continue in light of the CPAC case, the president replied, 'We´ll have tremendous rallies.' Trump held his most recent campaign rally last Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina. He waved off other questions to join a dinner for the president of Brazil, who was visiting Trump at the president's home in south Florida. 

A Marine at Fort Belvoir was the first military case of coronavirus reported inside the U.S., said a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

The Marine was being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, located south of Washington, and had recently returned from an overseas assignment, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said on Twitter.

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, director of epidemiology and population health for the Fairfax County health department, said the Fairfax man developed systems of respiratory illness on Feb. 28 and was hospitalized on March 5. He remains hospitalized but is in stable condition and not in an intensive care unit, Schwartz said.

'Fortunately, the individual had limited contact with others while ill, and therefore the risk to the general Fairfax community remains low,' said the county's health director, Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensa.

Virginia state epidemiologist Dr. Lilian Peake said testing for the Fort Belvoir case was done at Walter Reed medical center, and testing for the Fairfax resident was done at a state lab in Richmond.

'The two cases are not related,' Peake said. 'At this point, there are no signs of the virus spreading in the community in Virginia.'  

Trump said he wasn't concerned 'at all' about the coronavirus getting closer to the White House after the first Washington case was confirmed and officials said an attendee of a recent political conference in the capital where Trump himself had spoken also tested positive for the virus.

'No, I'm not concerned at all. No, I´m not. We've done a great job,' Trump said.

What cooking ingredients will help to boost immunity? 

Mushrooms

They are a powerhouse for supporting the immune system and have been acknowledged by eastern medics for thousands of years for their superpowers. The therapeutic component in these wonderful fungi act as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerating agents.

Ginger

These ingredients provide antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action to relieve the unfavorable symptoms of flu.

Garlic, chilli and onion

Supporting your body's natural defense system. Allicin, a compound in garlic, is known to boost the white blood cell’s response to illness. Onions also have multiple immunity-supporting compounds, whilst green chillies are rich in vitamin C to boost resistance to infection.

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In China, a study is under way to see if high doses of vitamin C can help fight off coronavirus (officially known as COVID-19). Scientists at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University are testing its effects on 120 patients who have the virus, giving them daily infusions of 24g of vitamin C for seven days. Results have not yet been published.

The dosage being used in China is around 60 times as much as the NHS daily recommended amount. 

Dr. Mike Skinner, a virologist at Imperial College London, says we won’t know vitamin C’s value against coronavirus for some time, and says the dose being tested is ‘massive’. ‘They’re doing the trial,’ Skinner said. ‘Let’s see if it has any benefit.’

As coronavirus panic spreads, one London clinic has noted increased interest in vitamin injections to help boost the immune system.

Vitamin Injections London recommends vitamin C a part of preventative measures. The clinic administers IVs starting at 1,000mg and up to 10,000mg per day, no more than twice a week, in a healthy person.

'We create bespoke intravenous cocktails,' Vitamin Injections London founder Bianca Estelle said. Estelle adds that the UK government recommendation is 490mg per week for women or 630mg for men, but says the advice is too general.

'It does not consider factors such as age, environment, stress levels and other individual factors when determining needs. These things a far more important than gender,' she says.

Elderly people with underlying health conditions are considered to be at far greater risk than other individuals who test positive for COVID-19. 

CORONAVIRUS TRAVEL TIPS

As the novel coronavirus spreads across the globe, health experts advise plane travelers to sit in a window seat, disinfect their table trays and window blinds, and warn that wearing a mask won't prevent infection.

Officials say the best way to avoid catching the virus, which is spread through viral particles within mucus or saliva, is to keep your hands clean, disinfect your space, and avoid touching your face.

It is also advised that plane travelers choose a window seat to have less contact with potentially sick people.

'Book a window seat, try not to move during the flight, stay hydrated and keep your hands away from your face,' Vicki Stover Hertzberg, professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, said.

'Book a window seat, try not to move during the flight, stay hydrated and keep your hands away from your face,' a professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, said

'Book a window seat, try not to move during the flight, stay hydrated and keep your hands away from your face,' a professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, said

Hertzberg helped conduct a study that followed passengers and crew members on 10 three to five-hour flights during the flu season and found that passengers who sit in the window seats had less contact with ill people. 

Wearing a mask on the plane may not prove helpful as the air in the aircraft is considered sterile because there are so few microorganisms at such a high altitude and the plane draws fresh air from the outside. 

About 50 percent of the air in cabins is recirculated but it goes through sophisticated air filters similar to those used in surgical environments, before it's its pushed back into the plane. 

A problem with paper masks is that they don't have a respirator to filter out infectious air articles.

That means passengers are more likely to catch the virus through direct contact from someone with the virus or surfaces rather than through the air.

But one study found that the other coronaviruses - such as SARS and MERS - remains on metal, glass, and plastic surfaces for up to nine days. 

Top tips include:

- Good hand hygiene: Frequently wash hands for at least 20 seconds or using hand sanitzer

- Disinfect your space: Bring your own wipes and wipe down window blinds, seat belts, arm rests, touch screens and tray tables

- Choose a window seat: Sit near the window and avoid moving around the cabin to limit exposure to potentially sick people

- Use touch screen with a tissue: Avoid contact with surfaces that may hold the virus

- Avoid touching your face: 2019-nCov is spread through viral particles in mucus or saliva. Avoid touching your face and transferring germs picked up from surfaces

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Everything you need to know about coronavirus

By Natalie Rahhal, Acting US Health Editor for DailyMail.com  

HOW DANGEROUS IS CORONAVIRUS?

About 14 percent of people who contract the Covid-19 coronavirus are taken to hospital – with severe symptoms including breathing problems and pneumonia. About 5 per cent need intensive care.

But the majority who get the virus suffer nothing more than a cough and may never know they are infected.

So far, some 51,000 people around the world have already recovered from coronavirus – and that just includes the numbers who received a diagnosis. 

HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE?

Officially, the death rate so far has been just over three percent. But experts believe the true mortality rate is probably between one and two percent. This is because most mild cases have not been picked up by doctors or reflected in the official numbers – so the death rate is inflated. 

HOW DOES THIS COMPARE WITH OTHER DISEASES?

Seasonal flu kills roughly 0.1 percent of people. So Covid-19 is between 10 and 20 times more fatal.

But it is far less dangerous than SARS – the virus that ripped across China in 2003 – which killed 10 percent of patients.

BUT DOESN’T CORONAVIRUS SPREAD MORE EASILY?

Yes, but not dramatically. The best estimates suggest every person with Covid-19 passes it on to 2.6 people, on average. For flu that number is 1.5. 

CAN IT BE SPREAD WITHOUT SYMPTOMS?

Initially scientists feared carriers who had no symptoms could pass it on. That is now in doubt.

What is likely, however, is those who have mild symptoms are putting it down to a cold and going about their normal lives – which puts others at risk.

HOW LONG IS IT BEFORE SYMPTOMS APPEAR?

Again, unclear. Initially scientists said this could take up to two weeks.

But recent evidence suggests the incubation period could be as long as a month – particularly among children.

The average, however, is much shorter. A Chinese study said the average period of symptom onset was 5.4 days for adults and 6.5 for children. 

WHO IS AT RISK?

The virus can affect anyone – with a study of the first 41 infected people revealing two thirds did not suffer from any pre-existing condition. But the middle-aged are most likely to get it – 78 percent of those infected in China have been aged 30 to 69.

WHAT ABOUT THE OLD?

Only 3 percent of people infected so far have been over 80 – but if they get it they are more vulnerable. Analysis of 72,000 cases in China suggests for over-80s the death rate is 15 percent. For those in their 70s the death rate is 8 percent and for those in their 60s, 4 percent.

WHO ELSE IS VULNERABLE?

Those with other conditions – such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and kidney problems – are likely to suffer severe complications if they become infected.

WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN?

Children seem to be low-risk. Less than 1 percent of the Chinese cases have been under the age of ten – and if children do get the virus it’s often a mild form.

They do, however, retain the virus for longer than adults.

A study last week found the virus was still present in the stools of some children for a month after they contracted it.

DOES GENDER MATTER?

Men are marginally more likely to get the virus than women. It is not clear why this is.

HOW DO DOCTORS TEST FOR COVID-19?

Anyone who has symptoms –particularly if they have travelled to an at-risk area – are told to call ahead to their health care provider, local emergency department or clinics.

This way, health care providers can be prepared, wearing masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment when they meet the possible patient and escort them to isolated areas of the facility.

They are tested using a cheek swab which is sent off for analysis at one of 12 Public Health England labs, a process that takes between 24 and 48 hours. Any positive test is double-checked at the main PHE lab in Colindale.

WHAT TREATMENT DO PATIENTS GET?

There is little doctors can do to tackle the virus, but they can treat the symptoms – such as fever and respiratory problems. Antivirals and antibiotics are also used, mainly to keep secondary problems at bay.

In the most serious cases patients are put on life-support equipment.

There are several clinical trials for potential coronavirus treatments ongoing worldwide, including one in Nebraska, where at least 13 patients are in quarantine, including two in biocontainment units. 

WHAT ABOUT A VACCINE?

Even though the Wuhan virus appeared only a few weeks ago, 20 teams around the world are already manufacturing vaccines.

Chinese authorities provided the DNA code for the virus early on in the outbreak, enabling scientists to get to work straight away.

At least 30 companies and research institutions in the US are racing to make a vaccine.

Last week, one of these companies, Moderna, shipped its candidate vaccine to the US, signalling the shot was ready to begin clinical trials.

Even so, US health authorities say it will likely be upwards of a year before a vaccine is actually ready.