State health officials say two additional residents and nine staff members at the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home have tested positive for COVID-19.
All these residents and staff are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
With these new results, the NNSVH has had a total of eight residents and 14 staff members test positive for COVID-19. All COVID-19 positive residents are in isolation and the staff members are self-quarantined at home.
All veteran residents who tested positive for COVID-19, while not in critical condition, have been moved to the Reno VA Hospital where they are receiving 24/7 medical care in a specially designed COVID ICU level of care unit.
“While there is no doubt that the NNSVH – the newest skilled nursing facility in Northern Nevada – offers the very best nursing home care possible, we are grateful to the VA for providing care above what a nursing home can offer,” said NNSVH administrator Mike Ball.
All those who tested positive must have two consecutive negative test results before they may transition back from the isolation unit or return to work. The NNSVH is working with the Nevada Office of Public Health Informatics and Epidemiology to support contact tracing necessary to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“We remain committed to providing the best care available for NNSVH residents and continue to adhere to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Department guidelines,” said Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS) Director Kat Miller. “We are in daily contact with Federal and state medical authorities to ensure that our residents are receiving the best care possible. Importantly, we will continue to test all residents and all staff every week to catch any possible infection early.”
Access to the home remains limited to team members and essential vendors only. Additionally, anyone entering the building is required to undergo screening.
ORIGINAL STORY:
State health authorities say five residents and one staff member at the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home (NNSVH) tested positive for COVID-19 this week. These are the first NNSVH residents to test positive; earlier this month, one staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
The NNSVH is conducting weekly tests of all residents and staff in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Department guidelines.
“Mirroring what is occurring statewide as Nevada begins to reopen, we are seeing an increase in COVID-19 positive test results at our State Veterans Homes,” said NDVS Director Kat Miller. “And while we remain well below the state average for COVID-19 infections at our State Veterans Homes, even one case is one too many. Our dedicated clinical teams are doing everything in their power to protect our veterans and our staff.”
According to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Office of Analytics, the COVID “Attack Rate” for Nevada Skilled Nursing Facilities is 16.75 percent. The current rate at NNSVH is 6.32 percent. This percentage is calculated by the number of new cases of COVID-19 in the population at risk divided by number of persons in the population at risk.
“Our clinical and support staff is rigorous in their adherence to CDC infection control protocols, in many instances going above and beyond what is required to protect our residents,” said NNSVH administrator Mike Ball. “All COVID-19 positive residents are in isolation and the staff members are self-quarantined at home.”
All those who tested positive must have two consecutive negative test results before they are released from isolation or return to work. The NNSVH is working with the Nevada Office of Public Health Informatics and Epidemiology to support contact tracing necessary to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Access to the home remains limited to team members and essential vendors only. Drive-thru visitation requires interested parties to call ahead to (775) 827-2955 for details. Additionally, anyone entering the building is required to undergo screening.
(Nevada Department of Veterans Services)
