Most Alexandria residents are pretty good about wearing masks, washing their hands and maintaining some physical distance — but sometimes, they catch COVID-19, anyway.
In late September and into October, the Alexandria Health Department interviewed more than 400 residents who were diagnosed with COVID-19, asking them about their activities in the two weeks before they started to feel sick.
“The results of these interviews mirror other local analysis and research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which suggest that household contacts, indoor gatherings, and restaurant dining are common sources of COVID-19 transmission,” according to a City release.
Those who were interviewed may have mentioned more than one of the situations mentioned below, but City data from those interviews shows that living with someone who is sick, going to work and social gatherings (particularly indoors) are the most problematic.
Almost 45 percent* of those interviewed lived with someone who had recently gotten sick with coronavirus — in those cases, it’s very difficult (but not impossible) for a healthy person to avoid getting sick. According to the CDC, wearing a mask constantly when in the home, washing hands frequently and well, plus using a separate bathroom can help. Here are more tips.
Another 25 percent of those interviewed said they had gone to their workplace. The survey did not differentiate between workplace environments, as those who work outside and away from people are less likely to get sick.
Ten percent went to a public event, social gathering or entertainment activity, with most of those occurring indoors. Indoor spaces are the most risky for catching COVID-19, as studies have shown that being outdoors is generally safer.
Less than 10 percent had traveled outside the D.C. area, and less than 10 percent went to a restaurant or bar (with two-thirds of those people eating indoors).
“The activities an individual participant reported may or may not have been the sources of COVID-19 exposure for that individual; however, they do demonstrate trends and suggest common links for people who become ill,” according to city officials.
Virginia Dept. of Health
Data as of Oct. 25, 2020
Virginia is one of the few states in the nation where coronavirus cases are low and are mostly staying that way thanks to precautions like wearing masks and maintaining physical distance. Across Virginia, the 7-day average is at more than 1,000 cases — near where it was during the coronavirus peaks in May and August.
In Northern Virginia, however, cases remain much lower. In Alexandria, the 7-day average is just 15 cases.
Virginia Dept. of Health
Data as of Oct. 25, 2020
Alexandria recently extended the outdoor dining program to both support local restaurants and promote health and safety.
The Alexandria Health Department provided these tips to remind residents about how they can minimize their risk of catching the coronavirus:
- Protect coworkers by not entering workplaces when ill or recently in close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- If someone in your household is ill, immediately take precautions such as wearing masks when in common areas, avoiding shared utensils, and staying 6 feet apart.
- Limit indoor social gatherings, and choose lower risk activities for holiday celebrations.
- Avoid travel as much as possible, particularly to areas of the U.S. experiencing surges of cases. For necessary travel, follow CDC’s guidance to lower risk of COVID-19.
- Maintain mask usage as much as possible, including while waiting to order or receive food at restaurants.
- Support businesses that have completed the ALX Promise voluntary accreditation program, since these entities have taken additional training with AHD and have pledged to go above and beyond minimum state safety standards for employees and customers.
* Note: After this article was originally published, the City of Alexandria sent out a correction that 44 percent, not 34 percent, of interviewees noted other household members had been sick with COVID-19.
