Wichita Presbyterian Manor reports 8 cases of COVID-19
Four residents and four employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at Wichita Presbyterian Manor.
Three assisted living and one health care resident tested positive via rapid point-of-care tests after exhibiting signs and symptoms of the virus. The residents have been placed in COVID-19 isolation are being cared for according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infection control and prevention protocols and physician’s orders.
We follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the residents may come out of isolation. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic residents may come out of isolation when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the resident’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the resident’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. If asymptomatic, the residents will remain in isolation for at least 10 days.
The campus tested 132 employees Monday, December 14, and 128 employees Wednesday, December 16. Through the two rounds of testing, four employee test results were positive for COVID-19. Two are essential health care workers who last worked December 15 and two are non-direct resident care employees who last worked December 15 and December 17. All four passed pre-shift screenings and wore personal protective equipment as required.
Through contact tracing, two additional employees were identified as close contacts and were sent home to quarantine.
The Sedgwick County Health Department and Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Epidemiology Hotline have been notified. We will test residents in health care, PATH, and assisted living and all employees Monday, December 21.
We also will continue regular surveillance testing of employees. Based on our county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, our campus is testing employees twice a week.
The employees are quarantining at home and will not be allowed to work until they meet CDC and KDHE guidelines for when an employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the employee’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the employee’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon the employee’s return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.
All residents and employees are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. The community regularly reinforces with all staff that an employee should not report to work if he or she is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.
For more information about Wichita Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.
