Whatcom Health says 23 more residents, 6 staff at Shuksan Healthcare positive for coronavirus
Shuksan Healthcare Center has become the center of a COVID-19 cluster in Whatcom County with 29 new cases confirmed on Sunday, March 22, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
Twenty-three of the new cases were residents while six were Shuksan employees.
The new cases bring the total number of ill Shuksan residents and employees to 32 when added to the three confirmed cases — all residents — announced by the health department on Saturday, March 21.
The residents are being cared for at Shuksan.
The health department also said that the man who was the second Whatcom County resident to die of COVID-19 was linked to the outbreak.
The man, who was in his 80s, died at home Friday, March 20, after being discharged from Shuksan Healthcare on March 10.
He developed symptoms after being discharged, was tested and the results were confirmed as positive on Saturday, March 21, the day following his death, according to the health department.
“The Whatcom County Health Department recognizes the significance and impact of this situation. We are working with Shuksan Healthcare Center to do everything possible for all patients, their families and staff,” said Mark Raaka, emergency preparedness specialist for the health department said in a release on Sunday night.
The ill residents were being cared for at Shuksan.
Lynden Manor case
Also on Sunday night, the health department announced that a resident at Lynden Manor has tested positive for the respiratory illness.
The person was in isolation at the assisted living center, 905 Aaron Drive.
Precautions were being made to ensure the safety of residents and staff, the health department said.
Shuksan coronavirus
The new cases in Bellingham sharply increased the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, which totaled 48 as of Sunday night.
In addition to the confirmed cases at Shuksan, nine residents and one employee at the nursing home tested negative for COVID-19.
Test results for two residents are pending.
Whatcom Unified Command, which is overseeing the COVID-19 response in the county, is looking to provide additional capacity for direct patient care and monitoring, according to the health department.
What that will entail isn’t known.
PeaceHealth also is working through Whatcom Unified Command to coordinate with Shuksan to provide care for residents should they require hospitalization, the health department said.
All Shuksan Healthcare Center nursing staff and other contracted medical workers who showed symptoms of respiratory illness were barred from work starting Saturday, March 21, according to the health department.
Health care workers who have tested positive can’t return to work until they’ve met two conditions:
▪ At least 72 hours have passed since their fever has ended and symptoms of cough and shortness of breath have resolved.
▪ And, it’s been at least seven days since the onset of their symptoms.
The health department is working to identify and inform all close contacts of the ill residents and employees when they were infectious. A close contact is someone who was within six feet for more than 10 minutes.
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.
This story was originally published March 22, 2020 at 10:06 PM.