First CMHC resident tests positive for COVID-19
Individual in 10-day isolation and asymptomatic; no others positive so far
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CMHC Administrator Dr. Janette Simon said the resident contracted the virus from a therapist during a session on Dec. 1.
After remaining coronavirus-free for the first nine months of the pandemic, Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley on Monday reported the first infection among its residents.
Administrator Dr. Janette Simon said the individual is exhibiting no symptoms and is completely isolated from other residents in the facility's containment area. No other residents had tested positive as of Tuesday, and the latest round of staff testing on Tuesday revealed no positive infections.
Simon said the staff's training kicked in immediately after the resident's test came back positive.
"This is what we planned for," she said. "We're running like a well oiled machine right now."
Simon said the resident contracted the virus from a therapist during a session on Dec. 1. The resident tested negative on Wednesday and Friday of last week, but those tests were likely too early for detection.
"For the most part, this resident was already in quarantine due to a recent hospitalization, so the exposure to other residents was minimal," said Simon.
Some staff members who came into contact with the resident last week are not working "out of an abundance of caution," Simon noted. The incubation period for the individual who tested positive was approximately five days, and staff and residents will continue to be tested frequently to monitor any additional cases.
"We're not out of the woods yet," said Simon. "Hopefully our protocol and procedures prevent it from spreading, but time will tell."
The resident will be in isolation for 10 days. CMHC has four staff members designated to provide care in the isolation area during the duration of the quarantine – one nurse and one CNA are working a 12-hour shift, followed by another pair.
A nursing home is considered to have an outbreak if three or more residents test positive for the virus. With only one resident infected, CMHC doesn't meet that definition, and Simon said the goal is to keep it that way.
"It was a quick shock, followed by immediate action. It went really fast," she said. "The containment area was up within the hour. I was really impressed with staff. They just put their emotions on hold. We had practiced this, and all that planning has helped. We just hope it continues to do so."
