Two Virginia teens allegedly recorded themselves coughing inside a local grocery store last week and upload it on a social media site, which the said recording was taken down after it was posted, the police said on Friday.
The said incident occurred amid the heightened alert over the outbreak of the coronavirus, last Wednesday in Purcellville, an hour's drive northwest of Washington, D.C.
After the Purcellville Police Department investigated the said incident, they identified the teenagers involved, notified their parents, and interviewed them about their children's misconduct.
The teens admitted that they are the ones who posted the video on a social media site and told the police that there was no criminal intent on what they did. The officers reviewed the CCTV footage and luckily there are no actual customers or produce which were coughed directly.
Lt. Barry A. Dufek of the Purcellville Police Department said after the investigation, that the teenagers were getting close to the other shoppers and coughing intentionally into their sleeves while taking a video on their phones.
Dufek said that they were trying to pull a practical joke and a prank.
The police department praised the store's swift action in reporting the incident that the two teenagers had caused and removed the produce to ensure the safety of the store patrons and employees from the Harries Teeter.
The identities of the two teenagers were not released because of their age.
As a precaution for the parents to keep a close watch to their children on their activities including social media viewing and posting.
Read Also: Is Ibuprofen Safe for Coronavirus Patients? Young Girl's Condition Worsens After Taking it
What you should doing amid coronavirus
People should be aware of what's happening in our world. The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages people to cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue, dispose of the used tissue immediately. Maintain good respiratory hygiene to protect you and other people around you from viruses such as coronavirus, cold, flu.
Most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate manifestations, for example, fever and cough. Older adults and individuals with existing medical issues can cause progressively serious sickness, including pneumonia.
If you feel you are sick, stay at home. If ever you have a fever, cough or difficulty in breathing, see to it that you get medical attention early, follow your local health authority for their instructions. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to immediately direct you to the nearest hospital to help prevent the spread of viruses and other infections.
Follow the advice given to you by your doctor and stay informed on the latest updates about the coronavirus pandemic. Both local and national authorities have updated information on whether the coronavirus is spreading in a specific area.
According to WHO, those with severe cases may take three to six weeks to recover while people with mild illness recover in two weeks. More than 4,000 people died from the coronavirus worldwide.
