-12 workers of the facility quarantined, facility to screen persons twice a day

THE deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has found its way into the Palms Geriatric Home, a facility which houses elderly persons, who are listed in the high-risk population for the disease.

The deadly disease claimed the life of a 64-year-old male resident of the facility, on Monday, making him the tenth person to succumb locally due complications caused by the disease.

From the inception, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that older persons and those with underlying medical problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop the serious forms of COVID-19.
Testimony to this was the death of not just the resident of the Palms, but also OSA Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam; 77-year-old, Colonel John Percy Leon Lewis; and a diabetic patient, 67-year-old, Samuel Morris.

Persons over the age of 65 years account for just about 6.4 per cent of the local population. And, with the Palms being a facility, which houses about 190 persons, who form part of this section of the population, there is cause for concern, especially since the death of the 64-year-old resident.

“The gentleman, who was bedridden for a while, became ill sometime last week, however, the GPHC (Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation) was contacted and he was taken there, but before he passed on May 1, a test was administered. The results of the test, however, came back on Tuesday evening,” said Director of Social Services at the Ministry of Social Protection, Wentworth Tanner in an invited comment, on Thursday.

Once it was found that the man was positive, the Health Emergency Operating Centre (HEOC) deployed a team to commence contact tracing. And, as a result, 12 persons, who were in contact with the 64-year-old man, were placed in quarantine. All 12 of the individuals were persons, who were caring for the elderly man, and did not include other residents of the facility.

Tanner said public health authorities have tested the 12 individuals and are awaiting the results and completion of the 14-day incubation period, before either isolating the potentially-infected persons or allowing them to return to work.

While that process is ongoing, the social services director confirmed that public health authorities have also launched an investigation into how the disease reached the facility.
“That is what the public health authorities are doing, so once that is completed I am sure they will be able to determine how he contracted the disease,” said Tanner.

When asked what measures were in place prior to this incident, the director said visitations were suspended since March 30 and all staff members are screened before they enter the facility. Workers are also mandated to wear protective gear while administering care.
Despite those measures, Tanner said it has become difficult to detect signs of the disease because, as reported, persons can be asymptomatic, and this poses a “real challenge” for anyone responsible for the administration of the geriatric home.

“It is difficult for us to identify those persons, so to boost efforts, residents and staff will be screened twice per day, and once the slightest change in temperature is detected or they show a sign or symptom of the disease, we will take necessary action to isolate persons and contact the public health authorities,” said the director.

With the reality being that elderly persons are indeed vulnerable to the disease, Tanner advised this section of the population to take extra precautions and practise social distancing, sanitise and eat healthy. Persons caring for the elderly were also advised to observe the necessary protocols because they interact directly with those who are vulnerable.

It was reported that the Ministry of Social Protection has heightened measures at various local care centres to protect “vulnerable” groups from contracting COVID-19, which has so far infected about 93 persons, here.

According to a report from the Department of Public Information (DPI), among some of the measures implemented by the social protection ministry is the adjustment to the daily operations at all of the care facilities.

Those care facilities include the Palms Geriatric Home, Night Shelter, Hugo Chavez Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre, the New Opportunity Corps, Sophia Care Centre, Mahaica Children’s Home, Children and Family Centre, and specialty home centres.
“We enforced restriction of visitation at all care centres. Staff and visitors must sanitise before entering facilities; routine screening of staff reporting for duty, that is, taking and documenting their temperature by a nurse, medic or doctor on the staff,” Tanner said in a past report.

Medical, administrative, and auxiliary staff have also been issued with protective equipment such as gloves and masks, and, where necessary, aprons, long boots and overalls, while administrators are to ensure that staff are appropriately outfitted while on duty.
“There is an updated stock inventory of critical stock items, especially cleaning and janitorial supplies,” Tanner said, adding: “and critical food items must be submitted by the storekeepers to administrators on Mondays and Wednesdays to ensure that stock does not fall below minimum stock levels.”

Protocols for new admissions, as well as recent information on suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19, have been documented on user-friendly posters and displayed prominently at strategic points around each facility.