Washington State: 70 Life Care Center employees show symptoms of coronavirus

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Washington States Life Care Center has developed into the epicenter of that states Coronavirus outbreak. Elderly admitted to a Skilled Care Facility (SNF) usually have multiple chronic health conditions making them more susceptible to catching this virus.

This SNF facility received just 45 coronavirus tests Thursday; Facility has 180 staff, ~75 patients remain –insufficient to get everyone tested. President Trumps HHS department disaster coronavirus test preparation and distribution score: D-

It will be interesting for outcome of tracer methodology report re how infection began in this facility,

Kudos and thanks to their healthcare staff for providing services at surely the most difficult work and trying time in their career; especially with the areas uproar over community spread.

Visit John Hopkins CSSE map updated daily to view total worldwide confirmed cases and # cases by Country/region cases. Data is from WHO. As of 3/7/202, they list 429 US cases with 17 deaths - 13 deaths are patients from this facility. Karen

70 Life Care Center employees show symptoms of coronavirus, spokesperson says

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-07-20-intl-hnk/h_8a27a2ac866a23a8dfdbc32dd032d404

From CNN's Melissa Alonso March 7, 2020

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Seventy employees at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, are showing symptoms of novel coronavirus, according to Tim Killian, spokesperson for the facility.

There were 180 staff members employed at Life Care Center as of February 19.

Employees showing symptoms have been asked not to return to work, Killian said at a briefing on Saturday. ...

CDC provides additional medical staff to Life Care Center in Washington

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided "extra nurses, practitioners and doctors" to the Life Care Center, according to Tim Killian, the center's spokesperson in Kirkland, Washington.

"The amount of work and stress that these staff and employees and caregivers here are under is tremendous," Killian said. "They truly are heroes.

John Hopkins Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases tracking available at:

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

ABC News March 7, 2020

Nursing home grappling with coronavirus outbreak struggles for answers

https://abcnews.go.com/US/nursing-home-grappling-coronavirus-outbreak-struggling-answers/story?id=69419434&cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_hero_hed

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...Vice President Mike Pence visited Tacoma, Washington, on Thursday to meet with local officials and said they are cooperating with the state of Washington to engage "a very fulsome investigation," and promised the government is working on getting everyone tested at Life Care. More test kits are scheduled to arrive next week....

...Thirty U.S. Public Health Service officials were scheduled to arrive over the weekend to assist with staff, he added....

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

From ProRepublica Feb.28, 2020

Key Missteps at the CDC Have Set Back Its Ability to Detect the Potential Spread of Coronavirus

The CDC designed a flawed test for COVID-19, then took weeks to figure out a fix so state and local labs could use it. New York still doesn’t trust the test’s accuracy.

https://www.propublica.org/article/cdc-coronavirus-covid-19-test

House Oversight Committee now looking into the issue. Karen

CNN March 4, 2020:

Pence: 'Any American can be tested' for coronavirus

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/03/politics/pence-coronavirus-any-american-tested/index.html

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...During a Senate hearing Tuesday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn was greeted by skeptical lawmakers and pushed to explain how he thinks the United States could do a million tests when, to date, it has only been able to perform about 3,600 tests....

"I want to distinguish between the ability to get the test kits out to the laboratories with the ability of the labs to actually do the tests," Hahn told lawmakers, offering no clarity on how many tests could actually be run by the end of the week.

This was among a number of government missteps that has left Americans scared and confused about how to protect themselves during the viral outbreak. Outside of US borders, countries debilitated by the virus have seen advancements in the testing process. In South Korea, there's a drive-through testing site that officials say is safer because there is "less-face-to-face" contact, and in some countries in Europe, thousands of tests are being run daily....

[Kitiger, RN]

President Trump says that anyone who wants a (Coronavirus) test can get one.

This reminds me of Former President Obama saying, "If you like your doctor, you keep seeing your doctor."

[chare]

6 hours ago, NRSKarenRN said:

John Hopkins Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases tracking available at:

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd4029942

This appears to be a dead link.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

[toomuchbaloney]

There's little question that the American pandemic response has been anemic and slow. Controlling information seems to be a higher priority than controlling the spread...

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Thanks Chare...updated link

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

Is this it?

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MAP TRACKS CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK IN NEAR REAL TIME

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/01/23/coronavirus-outbreak-mapping-tool-649-em1-art1-dtd-health/