Beaver County nursing home's covid-19 outbreak infects more than 34 residents

Apr. 1--A covid-19 outbreak at a Beaver County nursing home has spread to more than three dozen residents since late last week, officials said.

As of midday Wednesday, at least 34 residents who tested positive for covid-19 are being monitored in an isolated wing at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Brighton Township.

Each is "being aggressively treated by our medical director for any symptoms they have developed," the center's leaders said in a statement.

The Brighton senior health care facility discovered its first case Thursday night and announced at least 10 confirmed cases as of Saturday and nine more on Sunday.

"Over the next few days as tests came back and residents continued to be tested, the number of confirmed positive cases within the wing of discovery grew," the center's statement said. "A material number of cases also came back negative. Fortunately, all cases have thus far been confined to one wing isolated from other wings."

By Monday, two of the infected residents died, 25 were in the isolated wing and four remained hospitalized.

Seven more tests of residents showing possible symptoms still were pending as of Wednesday afternoon.

Bolstering supplies, protecting staff

Since announcing the outbreak, the Brighton nursing home has received an influx of 2,500 surgical gowns, the center's statement said. It has an "ample supply" of gloves and surgical masks, with 60 gallons of alcohol-based sanitizer scheduled to arrive Thursday.

About 485 N95 respirator masks now are in stock, up from closer to 150 as of Saturday -- and the center has become among the first batch of nursing homes nationwide taking the extra step of fitting the respirators to the individual staff members who wear them.

"The facility is now one of the first facilities in the state and one of the few in the country to have the ability to fit-test N95 masks in-house, and has an in-house sterilization machine to sanitize N95 masks when not in use," the center's statement said.

The center continues to hire more employees, including by signing new staffing contracts with other agencies, but it has not been hindered by a lack of employees, officials said.

"While some of our residents, families and staff have fears that are only natural when dealing with a pandemic that is not well understood and has reached our doorstep, there has been absolutely no mass exodus of staff," the center's statement said. "To the contrary, staff has largely been amazing, supportive and working unbelievable hard to ensure care is as strong as can be expected under the circumstances."

Employees who request tests are being given them "as fast as laboratories can supply swabs," the center said.

The center, located on Friendship Circle, continues to test more residents showing possible symptoms, such as fever, worsening dry cough and shortness of breath.

The nursing home, formerly owned by Beaver County, has 500 beds and about 470 residents.

"The majority of people infected have none, mild or moderate symptoms, including those who are infected and living in nursing homes," the center's statement said. "In a minority of people, symptoms have been severe and sometimes fatal."

Four Brighton residents who tested positive and had more severe symptoms were being treated at Heritage Valley Beaver hospital, also in Brighton Township.

Dr. David Thimons said earlier in the week that the two residents who died after contracting the disaster had advanced dementia. They were in a unit that was converted specifically to treat the covid-19 patients.

"Hospice was there when it happened," Thimons told the Tribune-Review on Monday. "They were kept comfortable, and it was peaceful."

"They just didn't have much reserve, unfortunately. But the patients with a little more reserve are doing well, and they're responding and, for the first time in three days, I feel hopeful."

Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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