Multiple Ambulances At Nursing Home Causes Neighbor Concern

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The late-night transfer of ten St. Petersburg nursing home patients who tested positive for coronavirus to local hospitals on May 11 raised questions by at least one neighbor. The patients from St. Pete Nursing and Rehab, 521 Atwood Ave. N, were transferred by ambulance, according to an email sent to Pinellas County Commissioners.

In addition, two staff members at the facility tested positive for coronavirus and were immediately removed from the facility.

Five patients from Gulf Shore Rehab 6767 86th Ave. N. in Pinellas Park, were also transferred to local hospitals on Monday after testing positive for coronavirus.

Allison Gordon, who lives in the neighborhood where St. Pete Nursing and Rehab is located, told Patch it would have been a nice gesture on the part of nursing home officials part to let the neighborhood know via a newsletter that it was experiencing a high number of coronavirus cases.

"We kept seeing ambulance after ambulance drive up over there late at night, and we had no idea what was going on," Gordon said. "Today, my daughter and I looked out the downstairs window of our house and saw TV news vans parked outside the nursing home. We didn't know if someone had been murdered — we didn't know what was going on until a reporter knocked on our door and informed us that there were 10 COVID patients that had been evacuated from the facility. This was the first time we had heard this news."

Gordon said that it is kind of expected that a nursing home would be a hotspot for coronavirus, it's unnerving to learn there is an outbreak right across the street. She wishes the patients well and hopes the outbreak is brought under control.

Patch reached out to St. Pete Nursing and Rehab for comment, but have not received a response.

Agency for Healthcare Administration and Department of Health are coordinating for additional coronavirus testing at the facilities.

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As of May 12, the Florida Department of Health reports that 482 nursing home facilities in Florida have tested positive for coronavirus. Nursing home residents across Florida that have tested positive for coronavirus: 1,667. Nursing home residents who have tested positive for coronavirus and have been transferred to hospitals: 1,848. Staff members at nursing home facilities that have tested positive: 1,738. The Florida Department of Health updates their report once a week.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of coronavirus include:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fever
• Chills
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness.
This list is not all inclusive. Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

When to seek medical attention:
If you have any of these emergency warning signs for coronavirus, get medical attention immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face

This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Call 911 if you have a medical emergency: Notify the operator that you have, or think you might have, coronavirus. If possible, put on a cloth face covering before medical help arrives.

Check out these stories for more about how coronavirus is affecting St. Pete:

• A New Coronavirus Testing Center Opens In St. Pete
• New Tool Shows Beach Capacity In Pinellas County
• Restaurants, Social Distance: Mayor Discusses St. Pete Reopening