Employee at Aberdeen Heights tests positive for COVID-19

With COVID-19 still in the headlines, Aberdeen Heights learned that an essential healthcare employee has tested positive for the virus.

“The health and safety of our residents and employees continues to be top of mind as we remain vigilant against the virus,” said Rick Cumberland, executive director.

The employee last worked Saturday, September 26, and passed the pre-shift employee screening. The employee was briefly in the building on Sunday, September 27, and passed the screening on that day as well. The employee was not on the schedule the remainder of last week, and notified the campus that a close personal contact had tested positive for COVID-19. The employee sought testing and notified the campus of the positive result on Monday, October 5.

Aberdeen Heights conducted contact tracing, and determined that no residents or employees were in direct contact with the COVID-positive employee during the days immediately prior to the positive test.

The St. Louis County Health Department has been notified. The campus will continue with employee surveillance testing as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Due to the positivity rate in St. Louis County, the campus is testing all employees once a month.

The employee who tested 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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