Coronavirus: 10 Deaths At Elmhurst Facility

ELMHURST, IL — An Elmhurst nursing home has seen the third highest number of coronavirus-related deaths among nursing homes in DuPage County, according to the state Department of Public Health. On Sunday, the department reported Lexington of Elmhurst had 10 deaths connected to the coronavirus. That's up from three deaths a week earlier.

Meanwhile, the state reported 35 total cases of the coronavirus at the nursing home at 420 W. Butterfield Road. A week ago, the number was 33.

Last week, Lexington said it only had six cases, but agreed with the state's number on deaths.

"If a person has a cough, we have to turn that in. They have taken those numbers with the confirmed cases," Jonathon Earlywine, the home's service excellence manager, said in an interview last Monday.

He couldn't be reached for immediate comment Tuesday on the state's most recent numbers.

As it turned out, the state essentially agreed with Earlywine's assessment. In response to a Patch inquiry about Lexington last week, the Department of Public Health said the nursing home case number includes not only laboratory-confirmed cases, but also those that are medically and clinically linked.

"This means someone with known exposure to a laboratory-confirmed case and is experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID-19 meets the outbreak definition and would be reported in the case count," the department said.

If the state's numbers are correct, Lexington ranks third in deaths among long-term care facilities in DuPage County. Those with the most deaths are Windsor Park Manor in Carol Stream and Chateau in Willowbrook, with 16 and 11 deaths, respectively.

Lexington of Elmhurst is owned by the Lombard-based Lexington Health Network, which owns 14 facilities in the Chicago area.

Read more:

Illinois Coronavirus Update April 27: 45,883 Cases; 1,983 Deaths

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