Health doctor: Unvaccinated long-term care facility staff spreads the virus

Unvaccinated staff at long-term care facilities are currently driving eight COVID-19 outbreaks at such facilities on the North Olympic Peninsula, according to local public health officials.

As of Friday, there were seven care facilities in Clallam County, one in Jefferson County had an outbreak of COVID-19, and a total of 12 of these residents had died in the last few weeks, said Alison, a health doctor. Dr. Berry said. Officers of Jefferson County and Clallam County.

Of the 12 deaths in the care facility, 5 were residents of Clallam County and 7 were residents of Jefferson County, according to Berry.

“For example, the first virus may have been introduced with a visitor, but so far the virus has spread to unvaccinated staff,” says Berry.

In Clallam County, a total of 39 inhabitants have died from COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic, and in Jefferson County, 13 inhabitants have died. Neither county reported new deaths on Friday.

Of the seven outbreaks in Clallam County, the largest continued to be Swim Health & Rehabilitation, for a total of 65 cases, but the facility did not see new cases of Berry being “carefully optimistic” last week.

The next largest outbreaks were reported in Clallam County in 26 and 19 cases, with all remaining facilities reporting 2-3 COVID-19 cases as of Friday, Berry said. ..

Berry said 17 cases have been reported so far at a long-term care facility in Jefferson County.

Outbreaks are classified as locations where two or more COVID-19 cases infected at the institution were recorded.

Berry said she would not appoint a facility under investigation if they could be contacted to track the exposed people unless they confirmed it publicly.

Unvaccinated staff

According to Berry, COVID-19 is widespread throughout long-term care facilities by unvaccinated staff.

“These facilities are often already understaffed, and individual positive staff interact with large numbers of patients throughout the facility, so by the time one is found to be positive, it is already. Thirty to fifty people are exposed. People, “Berry said.

Many caregivers on the peninsula have been vaccinated with COVID-19, but due to age and other health conditions, their immune system is strong enough to provide complete protection from the new coronavirus. No reaction is shown.

Approximately 50% of long-term care staff on the peninsula have been vaccinated with COVID-19, and as a result of previous vaccination obligations by Governor Jay Insley, all staff will be fully vaccinated with COVID-19 by October 18. You need to get a vaccination. All healthcare and long-term care staff vaccinated against COVID-19.

Those who are not fully vaccinated must be fully vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson Vaccine by October 4th. This is considered two weeks after the last dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Alternatively, you must have already started the Pfizer vaccination process. According to Berry, Modena’s vaccine needs to be given twice, at intervals of 3 and 4 weeks, respectively.

“These people haven’t been vaccinated yet and the results are disastrous,” Berry said.

New case

On Friday, Clallam County added 57 new COVID-19 cases, and the total number of cases has increased to 3,815 since the pandemic began. According to county public health data, the county case rate was 1,232 cases per 100,000 population in the last two weeks as of Friday.

Jefferson County added eight new confirmed cases on Friday, increasing the total number of cases to 914 since the pandemic began.

Jefferson County calculates its case rates weekly and new case rates will be reported on Monday.

Authorities did not update COVID-19 data over the weekend, and Berry said that most of the weekend’s public health authorities’ time is now focused on outbreak control.

Case rates have peaked and started slowly in both counties, but are still very high and pose a high risk to the community, but with public health restrictions, wearing masks, social distance, indoors. Residents’ behavior according to guidance such as avoiding rallies, Berry said, seems to indicate not only the impact of restrictions on indoor diets for vaccinated patrons.

“It’s still a lot, but it’s definitely improving,” Berry said. “What seems to be driving this plateau is the change in people’s behavior and the use of common sense methods to reduce infection.”