Another resident Covid case at PCHS

Perkins County Health Services reopened their designated Covid wing at Golden Ours Convalescent Home last week to care for two Covid-infected patients. 

A resident that tested positive Aug. 19 was moved back to the Covid wing after spending time in the Perkins Co. hospital following the initial diagnosis. 

Perkins County Health Services CEO Neil Hilton said they received a positive test Aug. 26 on a patient who was initially tested Aug. 20. 

He said the patient showed few signs of the virus but was moved into the Covid wing after the diagnosis. 

As of Tuesday, both Covid patients have been moved back to their rooms. Hilton said they are decommissioning the Covid wing again, hoping this is the last time they need it. 

He said every time they believe Golden Ours and the assisted living facility is free of Covid, another case shows up. 

They completed a round of testing on residents and employees last week and all of those tests came back negative, he said. 

They will conduct another round of testing on residents and employees through TestNebraska this week. Hopefully those all come back negative, Hilton said. As of right now, the campus is Covid free, he added. 

The most recent case brings the total number of residents who were infected with the coronavirus to 16. A total of 10 residents have passed away since the first outbreak. 

Hilton said two of those deaths resulted in residents who had survived the illness past the 14-day period considered to be the recovery period. 

One survived for 19 days after testing positive while another survived for 38 days.

Cases up 48% in August

Myra Stoney, health director at the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department in McCook, said cases are up 48% since the district moved to Phase 4 of the directed health measures. 

Of the 74 cases from Aug.1-31, she said 66% are direct contact with another person with COVID19, 18% are community spread (unknown origin); and 16% are spread from travel, usually to funerals, weddings and other family events.  

She said they have seen several clusters of cases in the last month, which means they are traced back to a common source. 

A total of 153 cases have been reported, including 16 new cases last week. Perkins County has reported 32 cases.

Just because the district moved to Phase 4 does not change an individual’s personal responsibility for reducing virus transmission, she said.

Practicing safety measures such as maintaining good social distancing, wearing a face covering when appropriate, washing hands frequently and staying home when you are sick is everyone’s responsibility to help stop the spread of the virus.

More information is available at the health district’s site, www.swhealth.ne.gov.