'People ... need to be acting like they have it'

Positive cases of COVID-19 have been climbing fast in Scott County, but public health officials there have not wanted to identify any commonalities or locations. Since early this week, though, the Southeast Missourian has been receiving tips about an outbreak at the Sikeston Convalescent Center, which did not respond to phone calls. Friday morning we were able to confirm positive cases at the facility with family members of a resident, who will not be identified, along with others.

“We learned officially on Wednesday that 16 of 19 patients on the memory wing had tested positive,” said a family member, who referenced telephone calls and a letter to families from the center. “We don’t care from a blame perspective, but people in Sikeston need to be acting like they have it. From a humanitarian perspective, not taking this seriously is putting people at risk.”

According to our sources and a review of the Center’s website, the facility had been taking precautions to mitigate the risk to residents, including for several weeks restricting visitors and volunteers from the facility. A notice on the Center’s website explained, “We may only allow visitors for compassionate care reasons, such as end-of-life situations. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis. We will actively screen anyone who must visit for this purpose.”

“No guests have been allowed in for six weeks,” confirmed the family member. “So it was likely an employee or vendor who brought it in. We don’t know how they’re tracing. But, obviously, other people in the community have been exposed.”

One of the gravest threats about COVID-19 is that it can be transmitted by people who do not indicate symptoms, which is why health officials are encouraging social distancing and masks when interacting in public, even if you don’t feel sick. Not only do such precautions protect you, but they may prevent you from unknowingly transmitting the virus to someone else, including someone you love.

Nursing and retirement homes around the world have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus, in large part because of the communal living and health vulnerability of patients. According to a survey published April 10 by The Wall Street Journal, more than 2,100 retirement homes and other senior facilities in the U.S. have reported coronavirus cases. The data comes from 37 states, as not all state health departments responded to the Journal’s request for information.

The Journal reported: “Facilities around the country have said they are struggling to get timely access to coronavirus testing for residents and staff, and are short on protective equipment for employees, making it difficult to quickly detect the virus and halt its transmission. A small but growing number of states, including Minnesota and Oklahoma, are publicly revealing which long-term care facilities have outbreaks of COVID-19.”

Missouri is not one of the states providing the information, and the Scott County Health Department is deferring to state guidelines, it said on its Facebook page.

According to the family member of the convalescent center resident who tested positive, the lack of information in such an outbreak can lead to more risk to the local community, including to caregivers.

“We understand HIPAA [privacy laws]. But people need to understand and take this risk seriously,” the family member said.

More could also be done by the state to proactively address the higher risks at nursing homes. Maryland has instituted “strike teams” to rapidly deploy assistance to overwhelmed retirement home staffs. Missouri should consider the same.

Jon K. Rust is publisher of the Southeast Missourian and co-president of Rust Communications.