Mystery virus: What's killing, hospitalizing

residents at Greenspring retirement center?

Tim Barber/ABC7

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz is the director of epidemiology at the Fairfax County Health
Department. (ABC7)

SPRINGFIELD, Va. (WJLA) — The symptoms usually start with a cough.

In less than 2 weeks, a mystery virus at Springfield’s Greenspring Retirement

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 Community has gotten 55 residents sick. Twenty have been hospitalized -- some with
pneumonia -- and two people have died.

2 dead, 20 hospitalized by respiratory virus outbreak at Va. retirement community

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz is the director of epidemiology at the Fairfax County Health
Department. He says the county has seen similar outbreaks but they’re usually
influenza in the winter.

“Our most important concern right now is ensuring the safety of other residents who
are there,” said Dr. Schwartz.

The outbreak has only been reported in the assisted living and skilled nursing
facilities, but the retirement center’s management is still telling residents visitation is
suspended until further notice, and no Garden Ridge residents, healthy or sick, should
leave their respective neighborhoods.

Dr. Schwartz says the community is taking proper steps and thoroughly cleaning the
facility while Inova Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention work to
figure out what kind of a virus this is and how it is spreading.

“These panels have looked for several of the most common pathogens and they have
been negative so far,” said Dr. Schwartz.

by Samantha Mitchell

Sunday, June 6th 2021

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 {p}D.C. Fire and EMS officials say a person they were working to treat for injuries
after falling onto a trackbed Sunday evening has died. (DC Fire and EMS){/p}

WASHINGTON (7News) — D.C. Fire and EMS officials say a person they were
working to treat for injuries after falling onto a trackbed Sunday evening has died.

The incident happened at the Rhode Island Ave. NE Metro station and rescue efforts
have now turned into recovery efforts, according to fire rescue officials.

Additional information has indicated to officials that the incident may have involved a
train.

The scene is now being turned over to the Metro Transit Police Department, DC Fire
Rescue and EMS says.

Metro provided the following statement in regards to the incident:

Shortly before 5 p.m., ROCC received a report of an unauthorized person on the

tracks near Rhode Island Avenue Station. DC Fire & EMS responded to the scene and
declared the adult male deceased. The investigation into the cause of death is
ongoing; it is not yet known whether a train made contact with the decedent. The
recovery operation is ongoing, and Red Line trains are single tracking between
Union Station and Rhode Island Avenue with delays in both directions.

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