An Aberdeen Heights employee has tested positive for COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the senior care industry, Aberdeen Heights announces that a non-direct resident care employee has tested positive for the virus. This case brings the community’s total active cases to 3 non-direct resident care employees in the past 7 days.

“We’ll continue to prioritize the health and safety of our residents and employees as we combat COVID-19,” said Rick Cumberland, executive director.

The employee last worked Wednesday, August 12. On Friday, August 14, the employee called in, reporting they were experiencing symptoms consistent with the virus. The employee sought COVID testing and received a positive test result on Sunday, August 16.

Aberdeen Heights conducted contact tracing, which determined an additional employee may have been exposed to the virus. That individual, also a non-direct resident care employee, has been asked to quarantine at home, and currently reports no symptoms.

The St. Louis County Health Department will be relied upon for further direction. Employees in the affected department were tested for COVID-19 on Monday.

All employees who test positive will remain in isolation until cleared to return to work by the St. Louis County Health Department. Under the current CDC guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 24 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 14 days. Upon the employee’s return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

Aberdeen Heights continues to screen all employees as they enter the community building for a shift and before they have any direct contact with residents.  In addition, staff members are wearing masks per CDC recommendations.

For more information about Aberdeen Heights’ response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.

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