Salina resident, employees positive for COVID-19
A resident in the Morrison Memory Support Center and three essential healthcare employees have tested positive for COVID-19 according to Salina Presbyterian Manor.
The resident has been in isolation since July 20 following a lengthy stay off campus, and was tested daily for COVID-19 as a precaution. A rapid point-of care test July 29 was positive.
The employees last worked on July 28, July 22 and July 21, screening in prior to their shifts and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while working.
“We continue our efforts to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist. “With the Delta variant of COVID-19 causing a rapid increase in cases throughout the state, I encourage you to continue to be vigilant in protecting yourself and others from the virus.”
As a precaution, all visitation in memory care and assisted living has been temporarily suspended. Visitation remains suspended in the health care center following a previously reported exposure in that care setting. This case brings our total for the past 7 days to five with four employee and one resident.
We have notified the Saline County Health Department and will follow their guidance for testing and quarantine. We will test residents and staff in health care, memory care and assisted living every 3 to 7 days until we have 14 days without any new positive cases. We will continue with weekly surveillance testing for the rest of our employees in compliance with the CMS requirements due to the county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests.
The COVID positive resident will recover in isolation and be cared for by designated staff. We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the resident 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 at least 10 days. Designated staff members are following doctor’s orders for treatment protocols and following CDC infection prevention protocols.
We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic individuals may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and their symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees or contractors will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.
We encourage all staff members and residents 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.
Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large. PMMA continues to strongly encourage our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones.
For more information about Salina Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.
