Virus Cases In At least 10 Seattle Area Nursing Homes

[appalachiablue]

Source: Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — At least 10 long-term care facilities in the Seattle area have reported COVID-19 cases, with deaths at three of them — a worrying development as health officials have cautioned that the elderly and those with underlying conditions are especially at risk.

Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday outlined a list of requirements for such centers aimed at stopping the worst coronavirus outbreak in the nation. A nursing home in Issaquah and another in Seattle each reported the death of a resident, bringing the total COVID-19 deaths in the state to at least 24. Nineteen of those deaths are tied to a Kirkland nursing home.

King County reported new cases were found in 10 long-term facilities where residents or staff or both have tested positive. The county reported an increase of 74 positive cases since Monday bringing the total to 190. Snohomish County said it had 54 confirmed cases. That brought the statewide total to more than 250, and Inslee said that number is likely much higher.

At a news conference Inslee also said the state is preparing for many more cases than have been reported, potentially tens of thousands, based on estimates of the spread of the disease. “If we assume there are 1,000 or more people who have the virus today....the number of people who are infected will double in five to eight days,” Inslee said. “If you do the math, it gets very disturbing.” The state has experienced the worst outbreak of COVID-19 in the nation. - More & Video...

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/virus-cases-in-at-least-10-seattle-area-nursing-homes/ar-BB10ZT25?ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

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The new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the WHO, World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In China, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

[Squinch]

1. Oh, no. They must be terrified. My heart goes out to them.

[captain queeg]

2. OMG. That's REALLY bad. Nt

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Jesus...

No words. This is getting worse and worse. I'm soooo not looking forward to this time next week.

Fuck. 😔

[CaptainTruth]

4. This is a worst-case scenario. Nursing homes.

Residents are generally in close contact & if one gets it, there's a good chance many in the facility will get it.

[Igel]

5. Absolutely.

Highest risk, closest quarters.

Don't know about Washington State, but I know where my mother was there was basically a stable of "industry" professionals who had no other practice or job but to make the round of nursing homes. They'd spend 4-5 days a week, each day going to 3-5 nursing homes, cycling through their assignments or clients over the course of the month.

Doctors, nurses, med auditors, dentists, optometrists, inspectors for health/safety/paperwork, then the furniture and supply folk. They mostly knew each other and the staff/owners at dozens of places, and it made it easy for part-time staff to learn of full-time openings.

Also makes it easy for somebody to spend 5 days shedding viruses while going to 20 or 30 different would-be COVID-19 incubation centers.

[SergeStorms]

11. And many who work at these facilities....

don't have decent healthcare, are under-paid, and can't afford to miss work for two or more weeks. This is going to balloon like crazy.

[AC_Mem]

6. How?

How in the world did this virus get into TEN Seattle long term care facilities???

Good grief.

I'm "hearing" that the next week to two weeks may be challenging.

ac

[appalachiablue]

7. See post #5. These dear elders hardly ever go out into the community,

but they are around many staffers and also outside part-time health and medical persons visit their facilities regularly. Years ago I worked with visually impaired seniors helping with resources like large print materials, magnifiers, support groups and more. (But I wasn't carrying any contagious diseases!).

[Warpy]

8. They'd better figure out the common denominator fast

It could be anyone from an inspector to a van driver to an agency worker and whoever it is might not have any symptoms, at all.

Nursing homes are the absolute worst places for this to surface and nobody wants to lose relatives, even though they're incapable of caring for them at home.

[appalachiablue]

10. It's not difficult to determine the common link(s/vector) for these properties.

And this kind of neglect for a 'sitting duck' population like frail elders is heinous.

If it had been (able) children there would have been an uproar and preventions put in place weeks ago.

[yaesu]

9. They need to set up strict Quarantines around nursing homes in the country. This is the most

vulnerable population & I'm afraid it may be too late for a lot of them.

[Nitram]

12. This epidemic will take a serious toll among the elderly.

[roamer65]

13. If I could pull a relative out of them, I would.

[mackdaddy]

14. They just ordered No visitors at my mom's assisted living facility.

She is in Heath/Newark Ohio. They called me tonight to tell me no visitors unless an emergency on orders from state of Ohio.

I went up tonight one last time before the lockout tomorrow to take her some supplies and snacks. She did have a bad cold and cough, hopefully not the corona virus. They have a full time nursing staff that gives her her meds and gets her to dialysis.

She is 86 and has multiple critical conditions. She could never survive the corona virus.

I know that each time I visit it could be the last time.

[milestogo]

15. Oh My God.