13 Coronavirus Cases At McHenry Co. Nursing Homes

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The Illinois Department of Public Health released information over the weekend regarding the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavrius in nursing homes across the state. The newly released data includes information on confirmed cases at McHenry County long-term care facilities.

As of Sunday, there have been no reported deaths at the two facilities where cases have been reported in the county: Alden Terrace of McHenry and The Fountains at Crystal Lake. There have been nine residents who've contracted the virus at The Fountains and four people sickened by COVID-19 at Alden Terrace, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health's website.

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McHenry County's neighbor, Lake County, has not been as fortunate in warding off deaths in its long-term care facilities. As of Sunday, 33 deaths and 150 cases have been reported at nursing homes across the county.

Wauconda Care is among the nursing homes the hardest hit in the state with 33 confirmed cases and six deaths.

• Coronavirus Outbreaks Hit Chicago Area Nursing Homes, 286 Deaths

Of 1,290 people who've died of the coronavirus statewide as of Sunday, 286 — more than 22 percent — were residents of nursing homes, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. State health officials say 100 Illinois nursing homes have reported at least one case of the virus.

About 1,860 of the state's more than 30,000 coronavirus cases have been among nursing home residents, state health officials say. Just one Joliet nursing home has seen 81 cases of the coronavirus, and 24 residents and two employees have died, prompting calls for an investigation from Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people 65 and older and those with other health conditions are at high risk of severe illness from the coronavirus. Nursing home residents tend to be older, and many have other health conditions — diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, or immune deficiencies — that contribute to higher death rates.

In addition, residential facilities like nursing homes can exacerbate the spread of the virus since residents live in close proximity, interacting with each other and health workers on a regular basis. Even in normal times, nursing home residents are at higher risk of infections than the general public.

A Kaiser Health analysis found that 76 percent of nursing homes in Illinois have been cited in recent years for problems with infection control, including workers' failure to wash their hands or wear appropriate protective gear when dealing with contagious patients.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Saturday he is "frustrated" with the spread of the virus in Illinois nursing homes and outlined some steps the state is taking to control infections in residential care facilities.

"We have a strike team that goes into a nursing home when we discover there's an outbreak," Pritzker said. "We bring in infectious disease specialists to make sure they're wearing their PPE properly, and that they understand what the policies and procedures need to be where there's an outbreak."

Related:

• Coronavirus In IL: Nursing Homes Struggle To Control Infections
• Illinois Data Shows Toll Of Coronavirus On Cook County Nursing Homes
• Coronavirus Cases At Joliet Nursing Homes Top 150
• 81 Coronavirus Cases At Symphony Of Joliet