With the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 declining at Sundale Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care, restrictions on visitation may be relaxed in the not-so-distant future, its medical director said.
“We had hoped to have something by Mother’s Day,” said Carl Shrader, who is also a West Virginia University Medicine physician.
Shrader said Friday they are looking at ways where residents can safely visit with their families face-to-face rather than the video chat methods now going on.
Fourteen people — residents and staff — remain positive for the COVID-19 virus, while 40 have recovered, the facility’s medical director said Friday.
And with the number of infected residents going down, Shrader said they are considering bringing in a new patient, a man whose wife is already a resident.
Shrader said since March 22, when the first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed at Sundale, 59 people — residents and staff — have recovered, giving the facility a 68% recovery rate. There are also no hospitalized Sundale residents and there have been five deaths attributed to the virus since the outbreak began, he said.
Services for its 84 residents are resuming, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, all of which were temporarily discontinued when staff and residents became infected with COVID-19.
Residents have also been dining mostly alone since March and eating their meals on disposable dinner ware. Shrader said they are looking at ways small groups can eat together.
“We want them to be able to socialize.”
To keep people safe, Sundale will have a permanent isolation unit on the first floor of the East wing, which is where residents with confirmed cases of the virus are kept, Shrader said. Testing will continue until the novel coronavirus is no longer present in the building. Also, temperature monitoring will continue and people will be required to wear personal protection equipment.
Many residents are getting new blood tests to see if they have gotten the virus and recovered. These blood tests will show if a person has developed an antibody which could show a possible immunity to the coronavirus, said Shrader adding no results are yet available.
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