Aberdeen Heights residents, workers test positive for COVID-19 in Nov

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect our region, Aberdeen Heights reports that 8 health care residents, 2 independent living residents and 1 employee tested positive in testing late last week. The new cases bring the 7-day total for the community to 19, with 6 employees and 13 residents.

“Our residents and employees continue to be our highest priority,” said Rick Cumberland, executive director.

The community tested 167 employees Wednesday, November 18. One essential health care worker tested positive for COVID-19. The employee last worked November 15. The employee passed pre-shift screening and wore personal protective equipment as required.

The community tested 36 residents, and 8 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. One resident resides in memory care and 6 reside in health care. All eight residents have been placed in COVID-19 isolation to be cared for by designated staff members.

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.

In addition, an independent living resident, who previously reported a close contact had tested positive for COVID-19, has tested positive with a rapid point-of-care test. A second independent living resident also reported testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday, after receiving results from a test administered off campus November 19. The residents will self-isolate in their apartments and be cared for by family members.

Employees or contractors who tested positive will remain in isolation until cleared to return to work by the St. Louis County Health Department. We will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for when an employee or contractor may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees or contractors may return to work when at least 24 hours have passed since resolution of their fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and their symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees or contractors will quarantine for 14 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

We have contacted the St. Louis County Health Department and will follow any direction they provide. Residents and employees will be tested today, Monday, November 23.

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 our county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, our campus is testing employees twice per week.

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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