LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) -- Dozens of people in Kentuckiana’s long-term care facilities have tested positive for COVID-19, and some of those patients have died.
Leaders in both states are putting long-term care facilities in focus.
“This is our challenge, and this is where the coronavirus is devastating every state,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.
Dr. Daniel Rusyniak.
Dr. Daniel Rusyniak, the Chief Medical Officer of Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration, said COVID-19 creates the potential for "a perfect storm in a long term care facility,”
This week, Indiana reported about 15% of COVID-19 related deaths come from long-term care facilities. The share in Kentucky is 20%.
Beshear reported 18 long-term care facility deaths Friday and a jump in cases.
“There are now, we believe, 29 Kentucky facilities that have been impacted, though it’s a little misleading. There are at least nine maybe 10 of those where it is a single staff member, or maybe two, and it doesn’t mean that they have even been in our around the facility,” Beshear said.
To help stop the spread, Indiana has created at least 11 strike teams. If they get word the virus has hit a nursing home, they are called in to test everyone, train staff and implement a response plan.
Rusyniak said, “If there’s one thing I think we’ve learned through this pandemic it’s that addressing COVID-19 requires partnerships."
Kentucky has created a Long-Term Care Task Force made up of 10 doctors who all have long-term care experience. State leaders said they are giving advice on how and when to transfer patients and looking at building layouts to make sure the facilities can provide isolation.
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