Patient in Modesto convalescent home tests positive, as coronavirus cases increase
A Modesto convalescent facility has notified the families of residents that it’s caring for a patient with coronavirus illness.
English Oaks Convalescent & Rehabilitation Hospital said it has quarantined the patient and is following guidelines to protect other patients and staff members from the spread of the infectious disease. The 180-bed facility is not accepting new admissions or allowing visitors.
As the United States surpassed China and Italy as the country with the most widespread coronavirus infection, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continued a slow climb in Stanislaus County.
County health officials reported Saturday morning that 23 cases have been confirmed and no deaths. County public health released more testing data showing 97 percent of 783 tests were negative. Top officials have said they lost the ability to track the number of tests run by commercial labs.
The total cases in the U.S. and three U.S. territories stood at 113,031, with 1,895 deaths, according to the New York Times.
Deanna Hill, administrator of English Oaks, released a statement saying the patient sick with coronavirus was a recent admission to the facility on Rumble Road. The patient started showing symptoms soon after admission, “making us believe this patient was infected prior to coming to English Oaks,” the statement said.
Hill said staff members are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for wearing personal protection equipment when caring for the patient, and following the advice of infectious disease physicians and experts.
“These practices include the use of protective equipment and clothing, isolation of anyone that is infected, heightened attention to signs and symptoms that may manifest a concern for infection, and a heightened focus on personal hygiene and facility cleanliness,” the statement read.
The Modesto facility is in contact with the state and county health departments regarding the patient.
All employees and any individual entering the facility is screened. Visitation is limited only for patients in end-of-life stage of care, Hill said.
Vickie Halladay of Modesto said she was notified about the patient testing positive by an English Oaks staff member Tuesday. Noting the elderly and chronically ill are at high risk for coronavirus, Halladay said she’s concerned about her 70-year-old aunt who’s been at English Oaks since November.
She said she became her aunt’s caregiver after the woman suffered a fall in an assisted living home several months ago.
“My aunt is in a room with three beds,” Halladay said. “I don’t know anything else about the patient (with coronavirus) other than I was told he is there for short-term recovery.”
According to the CDC, the practices for preventing the spread of coronavirus in long-term care facilities are the same strategies used to prevent respiratory illnesses like influenza from infecting other patients and staff.
In the state of Washington, a CDC report released this month concluded that 129 cases of COVID-19, including 23 deaths, were associated with a February outbreak at a long-term care facility near Seattle. The federal agency found that limitations in infection control spurred the outbreak, and staff members working in multiple facilities helped spread coronavirus to other Seattle-area nursing homes.
English Oaks, one of the more highly rated care facilities in Modesto, said it was committed to caring for the patient with COVID-19 and the safety of other residents. Hill cited confidentiality rules in declining to release information about the patient.
English Oaks has a four-star rating from Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare program.
“Nothing is more important than the safety and care of every person to which we are entrusted,” the facility’s statement said. “Our valued and committed staff ... are working tirelessly despite daunting circumstances.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
