In a cautionary move, health officials in the nation’s capital have issued a warning regarding a potential measles exposure on Tuesday. The alert comes after an individual with a “confirmed case” traversed two of the busiest airports in the region while returning home from an international trip.
The potential exposure is believed to have occurred in the international arrivals area of the main terminal at Dulles International Airport between 4 and 8 p.m. on Jan. 3. Subsequently, the individual was present at terminal A at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport the following day from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
DC Health, the local health authority, released a statement acknowledging the situation: “DC Health has been notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who traveled through DC area airports when returning from international travel. While the threat of transmission is low, DC Health is notifying District residents who were at these locations about their possible exposure.”
The Virginia Department of Health had issued a similar warning just days earlier, emphasizing the potential risk associated with the traveler’s movements through the busy airports:
Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms usually start 7 to 14 days after being exposed. The second stage starts 3 to 5 days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spread to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from 4 days before the rash appears through 4 days after the rash appeared.
The statement further highlighted the challenge in identifying the airline the person with measles was traveling on, adding an additional layer of complexity to the situation.
Both health agencies are urging individuals who may have been exposed and are at risk of developing measles to be vigilant for symptoms until Jan. 25. Hundreds of flights involving thousands of travelers arrive and depart at both Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport daily, underscoring the importance of this warning.
As health authorities work to contain the potential spread, residents are encouraged to stay informed and seek medical attention promptly if they exhibit symptoms associated with measles. The situation serves as a reminder of the ongoing importance of vaccination and public health measures in preventing the resurgence of preventable diseases.
This potential outbreak comes on the heels of the announcement at the World Economic Forum of “Disease X.” This revelation set off a firestorm of speculation about the release of another pandemic, 20x more deadly than COVID according to the WEF documents.
None of this should be cause for fear among Christians however, as Jesus’ words warned us 2,000 years ago that these events must take place prior to His returning.
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:7).
Pestilences, epidemics, pandemics, whatever term people wish to use to define the diseases which will plague the earth—there will be multiples of them, and they will a part of the precursors to the end times.
These events will be accompanied by false teachings that will deceive many, social and political unrest, natural disasters and persecution of the faithful.
Using a biblical lens to observe these outbreaks and the current state of the world around us, it is clear to many that those days Jesus told His disciples about are upon us.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
