A Nursing Home Healthcare Worker in Brooklyn Has Been Diagnosed with Coronavirus
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GRAVESEND — Residents of King David Nursing Home on Cropsey Avenue have been exposed to coronavirus, COVID-19, by a healthcare worker.
Council Member Justin Brannan tweeted yesterday evening that the worker, who lives in New Jersey, had tested positive for the virus, and had come into contact with eight residents of the home before he was diagnosed.
The healthcare worker only came into contact with 8 nursing home residents before he was diagnosed.
All 8 residents have been tested and none are showing signs of #coronavirus.
The families of these 8 residents have all been notified.
— Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) March 9, 2020
“Councilman Brannan has been checking in with folks across the district and personally visiting senior centers to make sure everyone knows the facts about COVID-19 coronavirus because much more dangerous than the spread of germs is the spread of bad information,” said council member’s Chief of Staff, Christopher McCreight. “King David Nursing Home appears to have been handled very well by the staff and they are keeping us informed so that we can share with constituents and their families. Our office is in constant contact with City Hall and the CDC to make sure all our local centers and nursing homes have everything they need.”
Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the statewide total of confirmed coronavirus cases reached 76. Brooklyn’s first case of the virus was an 80-year-old woman, marking the 13th case in New York City. The first case was confirmed on March 2nd.
The Department of Health (DOH) press office declined to offer a statement on whether other nursing homes have been affected by coronavirus. They did, however, provide a link to a document outlining recommended precautions against the virus.
Early data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that older people are “twice as likely to have serious illness from the novel coronavirus,” CNN reported. Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University professor and longtime adviser to the CDC, strongly suggested that people over 60, as well as those with underlying health problems like heart or lung disease, diabetes, and compromised immune systems, should consider avoiding activities that involve large crowds.
We reached out to King David Nursing Home a number of times to find out if any of the home’s residents have tested positive after being exposed to the virus. We have not yet received a response.