US braces for COVID-19 surge as pandemic measures show signs of working
Federal and state leaders share cautious optimism that social distancing measures are working; Jonathan Serrie reports.
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An outbreak of the novel coronavirus has killed at least 28 residents at a Virginia skilled nursing facility and sickened nearly 100 more. The victims range in age from 56 to 102, the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center’s medical director said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Dr. James Wright, the center’s medical director, said that the death rate at the facility is about one in every four patients who have tested positive, the Times-Dispatch reported.
The facility, located in Richmond, announced several weeks ago that it would test all residents after cases began appearing in mid-March. The results found 119 positive cases among residents, including those who died, according to the Times-Dispatch. Only about 30 of the center’s residents tested negative. The center has about 160 residents, according to the Times-Dispatch.
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Dr. James Wright, the center’s medical director, said that the death rate at the facility is about one in every four patients who have tested positive, the Times-Dispatch reported.
A spokesperson for the facility did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for additional comment.
Statewide, officials have confirmed 3,333 cases of COVID-19 and 63 deaths. The Virginia Department of Health did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment on the situation at Canterbury.
Nursing facilities across the country have restricted access to patients and limited social activities in an effort to protect vulnerable residents from the coronavirus sweeping through the nation. Utah, Maryland, Washington, Connecticut and Tennessee are a handful of states that have reported coronavirus-related fatalities in nursing home residents. In Massachusetts, an outbreak at a veterans’ home killed at least six residents.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has instructed nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 response plan that includes rapid identification and management of ill residents, considerations for visitors and consultant staff, supplies and resources, sick leave policies and other health considerations, education and training, and surge capacity for staffing, equipment, supplies and postmortem care.
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Additionally, the agency issued guidance for centers with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 that includes restricting all visitation except for certain circumstances, restricting all volunteers and non-essential health care personnel, canceling group activities and communal dining, and implanting active screening of residents and health care personnel for fever and respiratory symptoms.
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