Employee tests positive for the COVID-19 at Parsons Presbyterian Manor 3/21

One new case of COVID-19 was identified through employee surveillance testing at Parsons Presbyterian Manor this week. The campus has not had a positive case since mid-January.

Parsons Presbyterian Manor tested employees today, March 10. One non-direct resident care employee who last worked Sunday, March 7, tested positive for the virus. The employee passed pre-shift screening and wore personal protective equipment as required.

The Labette County Health Department has been notified, and we will follow any additional direction they provide. Employees will test again next week in accordance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines based on the Labette County positivity rate for COVID-19 testing.

We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the employees may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the employee’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees or contractors will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

We will continue to monitor residents for signs and symptoms of respiratory illness and COVID-19 on every shift.

We encourage all staff members and residents to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated.  We have been screening employees as they enter the community building for a shift and before employees have any direct contact with residents.  We educate all staff to stay at home if they are experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.

As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, it should play an instrumental role in eventually moving toward resuming our normal operations. Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large. PMMA strongly encourages our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones.

For more information about Parsons Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.