MONROE — Terry Snow, administrator of Pleasant View Nursing Home, has a draft of a press release ready to go if the facility has a positive case of COVID-19.
She hasn’t had to send it yet. She hopes she never does.
Pleasant View, which is owned by Green County, is prepared for the coronavirus pandemic in another way. Since early April, the nursing home has had a “COVID wing” ready for any residents who test positive and need to be isolated.
It’s empty and waiting.
Staff started preparing the wing — seven rooms off a single hallway — in late March. Two of the rooms have two beds, “so we could care for up to nine potential positive cases,” Snow said.
Creating the wing did not diminish capacity in the nursing home because the population is already 15 to 20 residents below the licensed capacity of 110, she said. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services waives capacity limits in the event of a surge during the pandemic, she noted, but “we’re not anticipating that.”
Pleasant View has about four to six weeks worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, gloves, face shields and isolation suits.
“We are doing quite well,” Snow said. She credits the cooperation between local agencies and Green County Emergency Management. “There’s been a lot of proactive planning. That’s why we’re in a good position. I think we’re ahead of a lot of places.”
So far, six to eight residents and about the same number of employees at Pleasant View have been tested for COVID-19, Snow said. All tests came back negative.
Everyone in the building is monitored daily for fever, low oxygen levels and any symptoms. If a staff member comes to work and has an elevated temperature, even without feeling feverish, they’re sent home.
“It’s tough work for them right now. I give my staff a lot of thanks and credit,” Snow said.
The situation has also been difficult for residents, who are restricted from visitors except under extraordinary circumstances and, even then, only in a separate area.
“That makes it quite difficult for residents to see their families. We’ve seen some signs of depression or not eating as well ... especially for people with dementia,” Snow said.
But the precautions are necessary to prevent spread of the disease.
“We just don’t know who might be carrying it,” she said.
Dan Nufer, chief of Green County EMS, said his organization is also “doing fine” with PPE supply.
“There are shortages, of course. We’re making do by recycling gear,” he said, noting that anything made of fabric can be washed and crews are able to disinfect N95 masks and the back of the ambulances using UV light.
He said he knew of only one EMS transport in which a patient had confirmed COVID-19, and that was about a month ago.
“We’ve been told a few times, ‘Get ready, the peak is coming.’ And so far things have been really mild. For Green County, things have been pretty mild,” Nufer said. “People here must be doing a really good job of social distancing and wearing masks.”
Lafayette County reported its sixth positive case of COVID-19 on April 30. Three of the six people who’ve tested positive in the county have recovered, according to the Lafayette County Health Department. The state reported 120 negative tests for the county as of April 30.
Green County added two more confirmed cases in the past week, bringing the total number of positive cases so far to 12, as of April 30. Since testing began, the state has recorded 344 negative tests for Green County.
Until recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified only three symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough and shortness of breath. On April 27, it added six more: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a new loss of taste or smell. The CDC says symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the coronavirus.
