Another Covid-19 outbreak at east old age home
The home was hit by the virus on 16 June, when 29 residents and six staff members all tested positive for the coronavirus.
Two people have died in the past two weeks, at an old age home in Bailey’s Muckleneuk following an outbreak of Covid-19.
Director at the Jewish Accommodation for Fellow Aged Mark Isaacs said one was asymptomatic and the other one did test positive for Covid-19. “He developed pneumonia-like symptoms and sadly passed away.”
After the deaths, Isaacs said the home arranged for another testing session on Wednesday, where more positive tests were uncovered.
“We found five positive residents, myself and five other staff member,” he said.
The home was hit by the virus on 16 June, when 29 residents and six staff members all tested positive for the coronavirus.
Isaacs, who spoke to Rekord over the phone, said it spread so quickly because the majority of the residents and staff members who tested positive for Covid-19 were asymptomatic. “This made it harder for the home to detect the virus until much later.”
He said two people were recovering in hospital, while others were in quarantine.
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“When we got the results, we isolated and had our infection control people come through and disinfect the buildings again,” he said.
“Once a resident tests positive we isolate them. We are in a fortunate position where our residents have their own rooms with bathrooms.
“We isolate them, have a sticker on the door and only certain staff go in.”
He said residents who tested positive were monitored very closely by medical staff and rooms were fogged and disinfected regularly.
The retirement home management, residents as well as staff members were “very concerned and worried” as cases surged at the home.
Since June, all residents were placed in isolation to curb the spread of the virus at the home and outside.
Isaacs said there was a team which dealt with residents that were positive for Covid-19. Another team dealt with negative residents in the cleaning of rooms, serving meals, nursing and exercise among other services.
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“They are all in isolation and remain so. We monitor our residents continuously for O2 levels, temperatures and symptoms,” he said.
“If we suspect there is a problem, we have their doctor check them and request a Covid-19 swab, which at this time is a problem due to the backlog experienced by laboratories.”
No visitors were allowed at the home and residents provided the home with shopping lists of what they required.
Isaacs called on anyone willing to assist to reach out to the home as it was in dire need of PPE.
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