The COVID-19 virus has spread to at least four residents of a Texas home for those with disabilities, despite a statewide lockdown on non-essential visits to such facilities since March 13.
In a press release Saturday, the Denton County Public Health Authority said that it identified four confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the Denton State Supported Living Center, including one resident over age 50 and three residents in their 60s.
The center is one of 13 state-run homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Scott Schalchlin, the state’s Associate Health Commissioner for State Supported Living Centers, commented in the press release, “We are working closely with Denton County Public Health and the Department of State Health Services and taking precautions to mitigate any spread of disease.”
“HHS restricted visitation to all state supported living centers and suspended community outings for residents on March 13, 2020, in addition to routinely screening staff, residents, and any essential visitors earlier this month according to CDC guidelines.”
Dr. Matt Richardson, Denton County Director of Public Health, said, “Our team is working alongside Denton State Supported Living Center to implement additional infection prevention and control measures to protect the residents and staff.”
In other developments:
📈 Texas’ tally of confirmed cases rose to 334 by Sunday at noon, compared to 325 the day before. The number of deaths (5) has not risen in the past two days. Travis County’s tally rose to 79 cases as of 7 p.m. Sunday, up from 62 the day before.
❎ According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, which is mapping the outbreak, there are now 31,000+ confirmed cases in the U.S., half of which are in NY State.
✅ The Texas state government has issued emergency waivers to expand the nursing workforce, including by allowing nurses with inactive licenses or retired nurses to reactivate their licenses. According to the Texas Board of Nursing, “the granted waiver eliminates licensure reactivation fees and continuing education requirements” for licenses inactive for less than 4 years.
✅ Another waiver allows nurses in their final year of study to get more credit for hands-on work, and a third waiver allows graduate nurses to delay completion of a licensing exam.
ℹ️ Austin City officials are requesting that retail businesses such as groceries and pharmacies adopt practices to keep shoppers six feet apart in queues in front of or inside stores.
ℹ️ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued new guidance to clinicians on therapeutic options for COVID-19 patients: “At present clinical management includes infection prevention and control measures and supportive care, including supplementary oxygen and mechanical ventilatory support when indicated.”
ℹ️ There are no FDA-approved drugs specifically for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. However, the CDC says doctors currently are able to enroll hospitalized COVID-19 patient in three ongoing clinical trials for the experimental drug remdesivir, originally developed as a treatment against the Ebola and Marburg viruses. A physician also may request access without being part of a clinical trial on a compassionate use basis.
ℹ️ Clinical trials for use of two different malaria drugs are also planned or already underway.
