Residents at Salina test positive for COVID-19

Two health care residents and one non-direct care employee tested positive this morning for COVID-19 following the campus’ routine employee surveillance testing and resident testing for the virus. The residents are in isolation and the employee is quarantined at home.

“Our top priority continues to be the safety of our residents and staff members,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist.

Our campus is now conducting routine employee surveillance testing for COVID-19. Surveillance testing requires all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested for COVID-19 on a frequency determined by our county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on the Saline County rate, we are testing employees once a week. These positive cases were identified through employee surveillance testing and resident testing conducted on October 23.

We are in contact with the Saline County Health Department and per their recommendation, we will continue our weekly testing and follow any other recommendations they provide.

The COVID positive residents will recover in isolation and be cared for by designated staff. We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the residents may come out of isolation. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic residents may leave isolation when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the resident’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the resident’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive residents will quarantine for 14 days. Designated staff members are following doctor’s orders for treatment protocols and following CDC infection prevention protocols.

The employee is quarantining at home and will not be allowed to work until they meet CDC and KDHE guidelines for when an employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the employee’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the employee’s symptoms  have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees will quarantine for 14 days. Upon the employee’s return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

We encourage all staff members to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated.  We have been screening employees as they enter the community building for a shift and before employees have any direct contact with residents.  We educate all staff to stay at home if they are experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.

For more information about Salina Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.

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