Nearly two dozen people have tested positive for coronavirus at a nursing home in the suburbs of Chicago, state officials announced Tuesday, as 160 cases have been reported in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that the first resident of a nursing home had tested positive for COVID-19. After “aggressive testing” at the facility, state officials confirmed an additional twenty-one cases, including seventeen residents and four employees.
“Residents in nursing homes are our most vulnerable population, and we are doing everything we can to protect them,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. “We may see cases in other long-term care facilities, which is why it is so important that we all do our part to reduce possible exposure in the community to those who go in and out of these facilities as they provide care to residents.”
Governor JB Pritzker and state officials also confirmed the first death from COVID-19 in Illinois – a Chicago woman in her 60s. “I am deeply saddened by the news that we’ve dreaded since the earliest days of this outbreak: the first COVID-19 related death in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “All of Illinois stands with this patient’s family and loved ones in mourning her loss and honoring her memory.”
In the wake of the cluster at the nursing home, Illinois officials released updated guidance for nursing homes. In addition to canceling all group activities and communal dining, officials restricted all visitation, with the exception of certain compassionate care situations such as end-of-life residents, and restricted all volunteers and non-essential healthcare personnel.
Nursing homes in Illinois have implemented active screening of residents and healthcare personnel for fever and respiratory symptoms
Compliance Perspective
Failure by a facility to develop and follow a comprehensive Infection Control Plan, or to implement all required actions for preventing the spread of infectious agents such as the COVID-19 virus, may place residents in immediate jeopardy, and be considered substandard quality of care, putting the facility in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding precautions to follow to prevent the spread of infectious organisms, such as the COVID-19 virus, or for screening for signs of illness, applying appropriate restrictions, and following all recommended actions.
- Train staff to be alert to signs and symptoms of illness in their residents, coworkers, and themselves, and to report that information immediately to a supervisor. Provide education on isolation requirements, quarantine, social distancing, and government mandated restrictions related to the current pandemic of the COVID-19 virus.
- Periodically audit to determine if staff are following required restrictions and infection control requirements, and monitor for reports of suspected or actual illness.
