Bellingham nursing home reports six more residents test positive for coronavirus
Six additional residents at the Shuksan Healthcare Center have tested positive for COVID-19, the new coronavirus, the Bellingham nursing home reported on Sunday, March 29, as the outbreak has spread to at least 52 people.
The six new positive tests were for patients who were recently retested, Shuksan said in a release. Two other residents have tested negative, two have results pending and one resident is refusing to be tested.
The six positives mean 29 of Shuksan’s 34 current residents have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the release.
An additional resident who tested positive was taken to St. Joseph hospital on Friday, March 27, according to the release.
Three other Shuksan residents who previously tested positive died at the nursing home last week. A fourth former resident, who was sent home March 10 and died March 20 had his test results come back positive on March 21.
In addition to the residents, the facility says 19 employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Whatcom County Health Department announced the outbreak at Shuksan on March 22.
Earlier Sunday, the health department announced three additional deaths of Whatcom County residents that had tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to seven.
Fourteen more residents also tested positive, bringing that total to 116, according to the health department, but it is not clear if any of the six new cases at Shuksan are included in that tally.
More than 704,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 33,509 deaths as of Sunday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 132,600 confirmed cases — the most reported cases of any nation — with at least 2,351 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 4,310 cases and 189 deaths as of Saturday afternoon.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.
