As soon as there’s a confirmed case of coronavirus, all aged care staff should wear masks and other protective garments, and residents should be isolated as much as possible, according to a new study on an unnamed nursing home in King County, Washington, which is close to the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland where at least 35 resident deaths linked to the virus have been recorded after a mass outbreak.
The report by state and local public health officials, and scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, found that of 23 residents who tested positive, only 10 had symptoms on the day they were tested (pictured above).
“The rapid and widespread transmission of COVID-19 that happened at Life Care Center was not a unique event. All facilities should be aware,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, public health officer for Seattle and King County and a co-author of the report. “That’s why preventive measures, such as limiting visitors and excluding symptomatic staff, are so important.”
A separate report has also warned against aged care staff working across different facilities, finding that two other Seattle-area facilities shared a worker with the Life Care home.
Another facility also received two residents transferred from Life Care.
We understand some operators have already barred staff from working at multiple facilities.
But what about those staff working across different providers?
