Coronavirus

UPDATED: Coronavirus In Connecticut

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There were 8 new COVID-19 deaths reported since yesterday, bringing the death toll to 4,577.  Hospitalizations increased by 1 to total 233, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reported. Residents testing positive for the virus total 66,052 an increase of 679 since yesterday’s report. The state reported 2,113,068 tests completed, up 23,435.  The state’s positivity rate is 2.9%. From Oct. 40-17, people aged 20-29 had the highest number of new COVID-19 cases, followed by people aged 30-39, the data show.

Health Q&A

Question 3

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Q. We heard from a woman who had asymptomatic COVID-19, discovered through a test, who recovered and later tested negative. Then, after every other member of her family developed symptomatic COVID-19, she tested positive again. Had her virus gone dormant or was she reinfected? A. “There are no confirmed reports to date of a person being re-infected with COVID-19 within three months of initial infection,” says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health Q&A

Question 2

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Q. Who can accompany a patient to the Emergency Department, and are there translators available for non-English speaking patients? A. For the most part, a patient in the Emergency Department (ED) can be accompanied by another person at all of the state’s hospitals. Pandemic protocols dictate that both the patient and their escort will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms, and masks will be provided if the patient and escort don’t have them. The majority of the state’s hospitals are operated by four health care companies: Trinity Health of New England, which oversees St.

Health Q&A

Question 1

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Q. Who should get tested for COVID-19, where do you go for a test, and more:

A. If you think you have COVID and have a primary care doctor, call your primary care doctor first. Many primary care providers can test their patients on site. If you do not have a primary care doctor, you can try to get an appointment at an urgent care clinic or a community care clinic. A list of community clinics in the state can be found here.

Fines & Sanctions

Nurses Disciplined For Drug Abuse, Care Lapses, Falling Asleep At Work

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Over the past several months, the state Board of Examiners for Nursing has disciplined the following nurses for improper patient care, drug abuse and falsifying license paperwork, among other violations. • The registered nurse (RN) license of Sashni C. Popp of Norwalk was recently reprimanded and placed on probation for one year for failing to properly care for a patient’s wound and for not meeting the standard of care for wound treatment, according to her signed consent order. • The Connecticut RN license of Amy Slepica, of Lakeville, Minn., was revoked because she made false statements on her application for a CT nursing license in December 2017 and again on her license renewal in November 2018. Slepica, whose Minnesota RN license was disciplined in 2017 and 2018 for failure to provide adequate patient care and to maintain adequate patient records, indicated on her CT applications that her RN license had not been the subject of disciplinary action in any other state. • The RN license of Nicolette Strizzi of Windsor has been suspended indefinitely while the board investigates allegations of substance against her, according to her signed interim consent order.

Deaths In Nursing Homes Show Steady Decline

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The pace of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes has slowed to its lowest level since mid-April, but cases rose to 8,322 up from 7,875 the week prior. Nursing home deaths represent 60% of all COVID-related deaths, figures released Friday by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) show. For the week, 208 nursing home residents died, compared to 263 the week prior. In all, 2,398 Connecticut residents have died in nursing homes, up from 2,190. Of the state’s 213 nursing homes, 167 (78%) have at least one confirmed case of COVID-19, up from 165 a week ago.

Nursing Home COVID Deaths, Cases Continue To Rise

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Coronavirus cases continue to rise in nursing homes, increasing to 7,875 from 6,947 in a week, while deaths also rose to 2,190 from 1,927 during the same span, according to figures released Friday by the state Department of Public Health (DPH). Nursing home deaths represent 60% of all COVID-related deaths, figures released show.  For the week, 263 nursing home residents died compared to 300 the week before. Of the state’s 213 nursing homes, 165 (77%) have at least one confirmed case of COVID-19, up from 163 a week ago. Riverside Health and Rehab Center in East Hartford reported the most COVID-19 deaths with 57, followed by Kimberly Hall North in Windsor and Abbott Terrace Health Center of Waterbury, with 43 each; and Shady Knoll Health Center in Seymour, with 35, according to DPH. The nursing home with the highest number of residents with COVID-19 is Arden House in Hamden, with 170, followed by Litchfield Woods in Torrington, with 127; and Riverside Health and Rehab Center in East Hartford and St.

Nursing Homes Cited For Infection-Control Violations

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Nursing homes inspected for infection-control practices during the pandemic revealed deficiencies, including failure to separate COVID-positive residents from residents who do not have the virus, improper use or no use of personal protective equipment (PPE), failure to practice good hygiene and handwashing and the improper sanitation of equipment. One facility was cited for allowing an assistant director of nursing, who tested positive for COVID, to work for five days. Plans of correction were submitted by each home. None of the facilities were fined. The unannounced, in-person inspections resulted in enhanced staff training and additional deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to the Department of Public Health (DPH).

Fines & Sanctions

Nursing Homes Deaths Rise; 5 Facilities Cited By DPH

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The number of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes increased to 6,947 from 6,008  in a week, and nursing home deaths now represent 59.8% of all COVID-related deaths, according to the latest figures released by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) Thursday night. Also, DPH released the first inspection reports done at nursing homes during the pandemic and cited five for infection-control violations and poor practices for use of personal protective equipment (PPE), among other violations. COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes rose to 1,927 from 1,627 in one week.  Of the state’s 215 nursing homes, 163 (76%) have at least one confirmed case of COVID-19, up from 160 a week ago. Riverside Health and Rehab Center in East Hartford reported the most COVID-19 deaths with 54, followed by Kimberly Hall North in Windsor, with 43; Abbott Terrace Health Center of Waterbury, with 41; and Shady Knoll Health Center in Seymour, with 35. The nursing home with the highest number of residents with COVID-19 is Litchfield Woods in Torrington, with 127, followed by Silver Springs Care Center in Meriden with 116, Abbott Terrace Health Center, Waterbury, with 115; Riverside Health and Rehab Center in East Hartford with 111, according to the DPH data.

Nursing Home Cases, Deaths Continue To Rise

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The number of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes increased to 6,008 from 4,814 in one week, and nursing home deaths now represent 58% of all COVID-related deaths, according to the latest figures released by the state Department of Public Health (DPH) Thursday night. COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes rose to 1,627 from 1,249 in one week.  The 1,627 deaths represent 58% of the state’s 2,797 COVID-19 deaths. Of the state’s 215 nursing homes, 160 have at least one confirmed case of COVID-19, up from 150 a week ago. Riverside Health and Rehab Center in East Hartford reported the most COVID-19 deaths with 47, followed by Kimberly Hall North in Windsor, with 40; Abbott Terrace Health Center of Waterbury, with 38; and Saint John Paul II Center in Danbury, with 30. The nursing home with the highest number of residents with COVID-19 is Litchfield Woods in Torrington, with 126, followed by Abbott Terrace Health Center, with 121; Branford Hills Health Care Center and Parkway Pavilion Health and Rehabilitation Center in Enfield, each with 93; Bride Brook Health & Rehabilitation Center, Niantic, with 96; and the Golden Hill Rehab Pavilion in Milford with 82, according to the DPH data.