Manassas Woman Tests Positive For Coronavirus On Cruise: Report

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN — A Manassas couple are among hundreds of Americans who became stuck on a quarantined cruise ship near Yokohama, Japan. James "Rod" Bell and Athene Bell were on the Diamond Princess cruise ship when officials learned that another passenger had tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Athene Bell has now tested positive for the coronavirus and was transported to a Japanese military hospital where she is receiving treatment, according to NBC4. Her husband remains quarantined on the cruise ship.

"She's getting great care at the hospital. She’s being seen by two doctors. She’s in stable condition, I think. Basically, it’s a mild form of the coronavirus,” Bell told NBC4.

The quarantine on the ship for passengers who have not been taken to nearby hospitals is scheduled to end Feb. 19, "unless there are any unforeseen development," the article said.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is operated by Carnival’s Princess Cruises, is carrying about 3,700 passengers and crew at the port of Yokohama, south of Tokyo. The company announced last week that it was quarantining the ship for two weeks.

On Monday, Princess Cruises confirmed an additional 66 cases of the flu-like virus among passengers on the ship, bringing the total number of people infected to 136, NBC4 reported. Several cruise ships around the world have been placed under quarantine as some passengers became ill. Americans who were in the Wuhan area of China, where the outbreak began, have been flown to quarantine facilities in California and Nebraska.

Currently, there are 31,400 confirmed coronavirus cases globally and more than 640 deaths. About 150 cases have been confirmed across 25 other countries, and there are at least 13 confirmed cases in the U.S.: Washington, Arizona, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Six Virginians have been tested for the virus, but none of the patients had the disease.

Deaths in mainland China have risen to 1,016 as confirmed cases reach more than 42,000 as of Feb. 11, NBC News reported.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, and trouble breathing, and can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.

While there is currently no vaccine for this novel coronavirus, you can take preventative actions every day to help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• 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.

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