Editor’s note: This story was originally published March 20 because a number of Washingtonians were expressing interest in going to West Virginia to escape the coronavirus. At the time of publishing, the story provided a couple of important caveats. One is that the number of reported coronavirus cases there were low because the state hadn’t tested many people at that point. Secondly, that West Virginia’s population has a higher percentage of adults at a heightened risk of serious health repercussions should they contract the virus than any other state. The story was subsequently updated to note that health experts are discouraging travel out of concerns that the virus could spread — a particular risk in a state like West Virginia, with limited health services and a vulnerable population. These are important considerations to keep in mind for anyone who reads this story.

When Derek Howard got a few cancellation notices for his Airbnb rental in West Virginia, he wasn’t particularly surprised. Many families across the country are hunkering down to ride out the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic uncertainties, and plenty of long-planned vacations have been upended.

But he also started getting a few inquiries that helped spark an idea. He dropped the nightly cost of the two-bedroom cabin from $160 to $120, prominently advertising the “social distancing discounts” on his listing.

[For the latest updates on coronavirus, see here.]

“And within minutes of revamping my property profile, I got a booking for this weekend when there was a cancellation and a bunch of other inquiries, all targeted, you know, to that social distancing idea,” he says.

In an era when elected officials are sternly warning people to stay away from each other, West Virginia has emerged as something of an ideal destination for social distancing. Just a short drive from the Washington region, the Mountain State has a population density of 77 people per square mile; the District, by comparison, has more than 10,000. Cabins and modest homes dot the rolling landscape across the state, and until this week it had no confirmed coronavirus cases. (There are now five.)

The state slogan is “Wild and Wonderful,” so if you really want to get away, what better place than Howard’s picturesque cabin, located on five acres of land in the aptly-named Lost City?

There are no solid numbers to show whether Washington-area denizens are fleeing for the hills and mountains of West Virginia or not. Airbnb declined to offer data on whether there’s been an uptick in rentals in the state, but recent perusals of various options within a few hours of D.C. showed that at least some people are considering it. “This place is getting a lot of attention,” warned notifications on rentals near Seneca Rocks, Shepherdstown, Hendricks, and Berkeley Springs, among others.

And it’s not just Howard who has decided to capitalize on the growing need for space, solitude and some distance from both people and the coronavirus. “Coronavirus Getaway!” advertises one posting on Craigslist for a house in Upper Tract. And there are similar listings in Oregon, Texas, Alabama (“hand sanitizer included”), and California.

“We’ve been checking VRBO mostly, and almost all of [the listings] now say ‘virus-free state,’” says Julianne Weis, who along with her husband is currently teleworking from a small D.C. apartment — and caring for their three kids, ages five, three, and six months.

Let’s stop here for a quick and important aside for those considering leaving urban centers. Though West Virginia has a low number of reported cases, it also hasn’t been testing very many people. And based on health indicators, it has a larger share of adults at heightened risk than any other state. And that’s why most health experts discourage any sort of coronavirus-related travel — without even realizing it, someone from the D.C. region could be taking the virus with them to West Virginia, potentially spreading it in a state with limited health services and a vulnerable population.

Weis says what she’s been looking for–even on a temporary basis–is more space for her kids to run around as their apartment becomes increasingly claustrophobic. “We were looking for West Virginia because it’s rural, we could be far enough out in terms of space,” she says. (They haven’t committed to going yet, though.)

And that’s exactly what drew Phil McNeal and his wife back to Lost River, where they bought a cabin a few years ago as their getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Washington region and their jobs with the federal government. They recently decided to telework from the cabin, which is equipped with internet service. (Hardy County, where Lost River is located, was one of the state’s first rural counties to get fiber optic connectivity.)

“You can get outside and you’re, you know, at least an acre or two away from your next neighbor,” he says.  “The people-to-acre ratio is quite low.”

But McNeal says things have gotten a little more crowded recently, at least relatively speaking.

“There’s a definitely a lot more people in the neighborhood this week. We’ve had cars driving by and I can see my neighbors across the street are here. We have a private Facebook for the property association and people who live in the area and just about everyone who is from the D.C. area is coming out to hang out here, and telework and just enjoy nature.”

McNeal has started to see the area — which is a popular draw from the D.C. region because it’s only a two-hour drive away — start adapting to the pandemic. He’s seen more people stocking up at local supermarkets. The Guest House at Lost River, a well-known hotel nestled in the mountains, has converted its restaurant into take-out-only. A nd a group of West Virginia doomsday preppers have even adjusted their pitch to new recruits to better fit the fear of the moment.

Danielle Paula and her husband live and work in D.C., but own a second home outside Berkeley Springs. She says they haven’t seen any coronavirus-related uptick interest in their rental, but she also hasn’t seen people cancel on her yet.

“We’re still booking every weekend. I think all through March is booked and even the first two weekends in April is still currently booked. No one’s canceled on us yet,” she says.

And Paula says she understands why some people in the Washington region may be looking to West Virginia as a place to escape too, even if briefly, during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think one of the things going for us is that we are in secluded spot on the top of a mountain,” she says. “There’s really nobody there. So if you just want to get out of the city and get away from people, it’s a great spot. You can be outside, enjoy the outdoors and not really have to worry about like running into people.”

This story has been updated to emphasize that health experts advise against coronavirus-related travel. This story originally appeared on WAMU.