Aberdeen Heights employees, resident test positive for COVID-19

With St. Louis County experiencing another surge in COVID-19 cases, Aberdeen Heights has learned two non-direct resident care employees and one health care resident tested positive for the virus this week.

Aberdeen Heights conducted contact tracing, which determined one resident and two non-direct care employees have potential exposure. All identified individuals are quarantined pending COVID-19 testing.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to protect the residents and employees of Aberdeen Heights and The Glen,” said Rick Cumberland, executive director.

The first employee last worked Friday, October 16, in the health care center at The Glen at Aberdeen Heights. They screened in for their shift and wore personal protective equipment (PPE) at that time. Over the weekend, the employee began to experience signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and sought a test for the virus on October 19. The employee reported the positive test result to the campus on Wednesday.

The second employee, who last worked Wednesday, October 21, in assisted living and health care in The Glen, was the only positive test identified during the campus’ weekly employee surveillance testing, which was conducted Tuesday, October 20. The campus tested 172 employees.

Following the first potential exposure, the campus followed the recommendation of its medical director, Dr. Alka Kapoor. All 35 residents in that neighborhood were tested Wednesday. One resident tested positive and 34 residents tested negative.

At Dr. Kapoor’s recommendation, all 38 assisted living and memory support residents were tested on Thursday after the second employee tested positive. The results of these tests are pending.

Residents in all three areas will be tested again next week. Employee surveillance testing will continue as required October 27.

Surveillance testing requires all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested on a frequency determined by our county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on the increase in the county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, the campus is testing employees weekly.

The St. Louis County Health Department will be relied upon for further direction.

The COVID positive resident will remain in isolation and be cared for by the COVID-19 Rapid Response Team. We will follow CDC guidelines for when the residents may come out of isolation. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic residents may leave isolation when at least 24 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. Asymptomatic positive residents will quarantine for 14 days. Designated staff members are following doctor’s orders for treatment protocols and following CDC infection prevention protocols.

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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