Utah Nursing Facility To Only Treat COVID-19 Patients After Three Hospitalized, One Killed

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – One patient at a Salt Lake City nursing facility has died of COVID-19, three more have been hospitalized and two staff members have tested positive.

Officials with the Utah Department of Health said the woman who died was over the age of 85. She passed away on Thursday, April 2.

In all, six of seven symptomatic people have tested positive for coronavirus.

The name of the care facility was not released by health officials on Saturday, but they said the facility will become a COVID-19-only facility. It will only be admitting coronavirus patients who no longer require hospital-level care.

Later Saturday, Pine Creek Rehabilitation and Nursing announced it will “temporarily transition to a coronavirus-only facility and that all residents without the virus would move elsewhere” on its Facebook page.

The post also read “despite having implemented all infection control recommended by the leading agencies, the virus has managed to spread in our facility.”

Health officials said it was the first case in the state of disease transmission within a care facility.

The remaining residents were all isolated in their rooms and awaiting test results. Those who test negative will be transferred to a different facility.

Members of the Healthcare-Associated Infections Team from the Utah Department of Health were brought in to investigate and perform a facility assessment.

“An important part of the public health response is ensuring the health and safety of vulnerable populations, such as those living in long-term care facilities,” said Dr. Allyn Nakashima, Healthcare-Associated Infections/Antibiotic Resistance (HAI/AR) Program Manager for the Utah Department of Health. “We’ve worked hard with our partners at local health departments to ensure these types of facilities are aware of the steps they can take to limit the spread of COVID-19 among residents.”

Earlier this week, officials with the Utah Department of Health talked about the importance of keeping the elderly away from the virus.

“The point here is that we just need to really increase our vigilance in terms of making sure when we’re sick or symptomatic we isolate. We’re not around vulnerable populations who are more likely to be hospitalized such as older adults and those with underlying health conditions,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn.

Even though the elderly seem to be more at risk, Governor Gary Herbert said earlier this week people of all ages are testing positive for COVID-19.

“Of those in the ICU, three percent are 24 years and younger. Eighteen percent of the hospitalized cases are 25-44. Forty-eight percent of those hospitalized are 45-64, so still pretty young,” Herbert said. “Thirty-one percent of hospitalized cases are 65 years and older, so it does appear there’s more serious impacts on those who are older. But don’t delude yourselves thinking because I’m younger I’m not susceptible.”

When KSL TV called Pine Creek Rehabilitation and Nursing, a person named Olivia said she was the administrator of Pine Creek but didn’t have any comment at this time.

She also said any information or statement the facility had would be posted to its Facebook page.

Coronavirus Resources

• Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL TV wants to hear from you. Contact KSL by emailing social@ksl.com.
• What is COVID-19? Here’s What You Need To Know To Stay Healthy
• What We Know And Don’t Know About The Coronavirus
• Four Common Coronavirus Questions Answered
• The latest coronavirus stories from KSL TV can be found at our Staying Safe: Coronavirus section.
• Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus?

How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

How To Get Help

If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you can contact the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707 to speak to trained healthcare professionals. You can also use telehealth services through your healthcare providers.

Additional Resources

If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at consumerprotection@utah.gov.