Coronavirus Latest: 4 COVID-19 Cases At Levindale Facility In Baltimore As More Area Nursing Homes Report Cases
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- There are now four COVID-19 cases at the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital in Baltimore, a statement from LifeBridge Health confirmed Wednesday.
Three cases were originally confirmed by the Baltimore City Health Commissioner earlier Wednesday morning.
LifeBridge Health said there are four confirmed cases, one is a patient in the specialty hospital and three are on their sub-acute rehab unit. A staffer also tested positive and is recovering at home in quarantine.
They said there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in residents of the long-term care facility.
"Levindale is a unique facility that offers several types of care, including a long-term residential care facility, sub-acute rehabilitation and a specialty hospital, which includes a high-intensity care unit," LifeBridge said in a statement.
They said they have been screening and taking temperatures of employees as they report to work since early March and are working with their infection prevention teams and following CDC and Maryland Department of Health guidelines to prevent the spread.
It's a terrifying time for some senior citizens, knowing the coronavirus has killed so many people their age.
"Especially elderly patients are really scared and they're alone, not with their loved ones it's a difficult time for them as well."
Five people have died and there are 77 more positive COVID-19 cases at Pleasant View Nursing home in Carroll County.
Tuesday night, five cases were confirmed at a FutureCare senior living facility in northeast Baltimore.
The Baltimore City Health Commissioner said first responders and health care agencies are trying to provide extra support to these facilities.
"Ensure that that center has the wraparound services it needs," said city health commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa.
But Dr. Neil Roy said once the virus gets in, the effects can be severe.
"Our elderly population with breathing problems like COPD, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema, of congestive heart failure puts you at more risk and once you're older it makes it much harder for your body to handle," Roy said.
Dr. Roy is chief of the emergency department at Sinai Hospital, where he says diagnosing patients continues to pose challenges and the best way to treat them is constantly changing because so little is known about the virus.
"A few days of symptoms are fairly non-specific, meaning people have GI symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, then after that they'll have classic respiratory symptoms," Roy said.
Though health care workers have many challenges right now, Dr. Roy said telling infected patients they can't see their loved ones is the hardest.
He said often older patients who need ventilators to help them breathe then develop other medical issues and infections because of it. He encourages social distancing, especially from your elderly family.
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