Six more COVID-19 cases at Lebanon veterans’ home raise statewide total to 30

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Six more residents of the Oregon Veterans' Home in Lebanon, where two people were diagnosed Wednesday with COVID-19, have tested positive and are presumptive positive cases, the Oregon Health Authority announced Thursday night.

The affected individuals include one man between ages 55 and 74 and five men aged 75 years or older, the agency said. While their illnesses are considered linked to the two earlier cases, the exact sources of their exposures are not known. All have been placed in isolation at the facility.

“Tonight, our thoughts are with these veterans and their loved ones,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “We are working closely with Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the facility’s staff and Linn County Public Health to ensure they get the best care and support possible.”

The new cases bring Linn County’s total number of presumptive positive cases to eight. There are now 30 cases of the virus statewide, as of 8:13 p.m. Thursday. Cases are termed "presumptive" until the U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirms the results.

“Our deepest concerns are with our now eight veteran residents who have tested positive for COVID-19,” said Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Kelly Fitzpatrick. “Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones, and with our staff at the Oregon Veterans’ Home who are working tirelessly to provide exceptional care to all residents.

"Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this rapidly evolving pandemic, but we can’t help but feel special concern for what is happening at our Veterans’ Home. These residents are our nation’s heroes. They protected our freedoms and way of life that we now enjoy. It is nothing less than our sacred duty to now fight for them. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect our residents and staff, and mitigate the spread of this virus within our facility.”

Wednesday night, an Infection Control and Specimen Collection Strike Team from OHA deployed to the Veterans' Home to help support existing and additional infection control practices and help collect specimens. Samples from the suspected cases were brought to the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory early Thursday morning, and test results were released in the late afternoon.

On Wednesday, Oregon Department of Human Services, in consultation with OHA, issued a policy to limit exposure to COVID-19 at long-term care facilities. The guidance directs nursing, assisted living and residential care facilities, including those providing memory care, to:

• Restrict visitation to only essential individuals.
• Limit essential visitors to two per resident at a given time.
• Screen all permitted visitors for respiratory or other symptoms potentially indicating COVID-19, and for recent travel to an affected geographic area or high-risk setting prior to entering the facilities.
• Document the screenings for all visitors.
• Limit community outings.
• Support residents’ access to socialization when visitors are not able to enter the facility through virtual visits.

Earlier Thursday, the state added three new presumptive positive cases to its count of people diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the total to 24.

Clackamas County now has its first case, a man between the ages of 35 and 54 who was a close contact with a previous case. The new Washington County cases are both women older than 55 who had no known close contacts with confirmed cases and are considered community-spread cases.

Washington County now has a total of 10 cases.

Health officials continue to urge all Oregonians to take steps to protect those who are most vulnerable to complications from COVID-19. Those considered “high risk” include adults 60 and older, or anyone with a serious health condition, including lung or heart problems, kidney disease, or diabetes, or anyone who has a suppressed immune system.

People vulnerable to complications should follow federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to stay home as much as possible and avoid gatherings.

Every resident should take these basic steps to protect those most at risk:

• Never visit a hospital or long-term-care facility if you have a fever or cough illness.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you feel ill.
• Call your provider before seeking health care.

The COVID-19 virus spreads like the flu, when someone who is sick coughs or sneezes close to another person (close means about 6 feet).

After someone contracts COVID-19, illness usually develops within 14 days. Symptoms mirror those of the flu, including fever, cough, runny nose, headache, sore throat and general feelings of illness. That has made it more difficult for health officials to identify sick individuals and stop the virus from spreading.

As testing capacity increases -- with LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics online, and clinical laboratories at some Oregon hospitals expected to begin testing by next week -- officials expect the number of people who test positive with COVID-19 to rise.

Stay informed

• Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.
• United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.
• Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.