National Guard testing as nursing home cases increase
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Another West Virginia nursing home reported a coronavirus case as the National Guard stepped in to test additional residents Wednesday, officials said.
The testing effort at the Riverside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center came after a resident was hospitalized with the virus and others showed symptoms, the Kanawha County Health Department said.
The case at Riverside follows a string of virus reports at nursing homes across the state. The Wayne Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has reported the death of a resident as well as positives in 39 residents and 33 staffers. Three residents of the Sundale Nursing Home in Morgantown have died in an outbreak of about 30 cases and Kanawha officials have said Eastbrook Center has eight cases and Brookdale Charleston Gardens has one.
At a press conference Wednesday, Republican Gov. Jim Justice acknowledged the mounting cases and said a nursing home in Boone County has also reported a positive, though he couldn't immediately specify the name of the home.
"We need to run to the nursing home, test everyone there, everyone that affiliated with that nursing home to where we can isolate and move forward," he told reporters.
Justice has repeatedly warned of the virus spreading among the elderly in nursing homes, which are dangerously low on safety equipment such as masks, gowns and gloves, according to a trade group leader.
A tally by The Associated Press based on media reports and state health departments has counted at least 4,485 nursing home deaths across the country during the pandemic. The federal government does not publicly track coronavirus infections and deaths in nursing homes.
West Virginia has reported 12 deaths and at least 718 positive cases statewide, though testing remains limited and state officials admit their case count lags behind the actual total as results pour in from counties.
Justice has strengthened existing safety restrictions in 12 hot spot counties, directing local officials to limit gatherings to five people and set maximum occupancy rules for stores. He previously ordered a state of emergency, directed all nonessential businesses to close, shuttered schools until at least April 30 and rescheduled the primary election from May 12 to June 9.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks, and the overwhelming majority of people recover. But people with severe cases can need respirators to survive, and with infections spreading exponentially, many hospitals are bracing for coming waves of patients.
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.