Results from last week’s testing in the Care Center resulted in one new resident and 5 additional employees testing positive. The Care Center is now in outbreak status and all residents will be tested on the twice weekly schedule going forward until the outbreak is resolved.
Five residents and one staff member at Chateau have tested positive from Thursday’s tests. All five resident positives reside in the Memory Care unit at Chateau. As a reminder, we are monitoring vitals and observing for symptoms twice per day for our Care Center residents due to the increase in staff positive results.
Outbreaks have increased to 115 (up from 91 last week) still active in the community with 18 of those being in health facilities/entities. Positives for December through the 8th are 1443. Parkview Hospital decreased hospitalizations related to COVID with 118 cases as of yesterday while St Mary Corwin also has 20 COVID cases in their care. Yesterday Parkview reported occupancy at 208 while St Mary Corwin is reporting 31 for occupancy. This leaves 19 available beds between the hospitals.
Quick update on a recent modification to the campus to aide in our care to the residents. An electro-mechanical device was installed in the ducting at Sharmar and Chateau as an added step in our infection control efforts. Bottom line: the system creates a negatively charged ion that can damage a virus’s capsid protein coating containing its genetic material rendering it inactive. The manufacturer reports up to a 99.8% efficacy in this process for COVID.
Finally, information is starting to flow related to the vaccine process. While we don’t know dates (we have not heard which vaccine manufacturer Colorado has selected) for the clinics that will be provided on site for the vaccine, our pharmacy has started to inform us of what the process will entail. We will be coordinating with families once we receive the consent forms for completion and should be receiving information from the pharmacy for dates selected to conduct our clinics. The information passed was the earliest any vaccine clinic would be conducted was 22 Dec if the approval process was completed on the expected date. As we continue to hear more on the vaccine it will be shared through these letters. At present, unsure when additional information will be provided to the facility.
Please contact the facilities with your questions and I appreciate your patience with our return calls to address your concerns or questions.
Sincerely,
Keith Jackson
Executive Director
