Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor reports a new case of COVID-19

One new case of COVID-19 was detected at Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor this week.

“Our efforts to protect the health and safety of our residents and employees continue,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist.

Two rounds of employee surveillance testing were completed, with no new cases of COVID-19 detected. Residents in memory care were tested due to the possibility of exposure from a previously reported positive employee. One resident tested positive. The resident has been placed in COVID-19 isolation and is being cared for by designated team members following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infection prevention and control protocols and physician’s orders.

The Cowley County Health Department has been notified. The community will test memory care residents again next week as a precaution. The next round of testing for employees will be Monday, February 1. Employee surveillance testing will continue as required. Based on our county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, our campus is testing staff twice a week.

We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the resident may come out of isolation. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic residents may come out of isolation when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the resident’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the resident’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. If asymptomatic, the resident will remain in isolation for at least 10 days.

As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, it should play an instrumental role in eventually moving toward resuming our normal operations. Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large. The campus had its first vaccine clinic for residents and employees January 18. As the vaccine rollout enters the next phase, PMMA strongly encourages our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones.

All team members and residents are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. The community regularly reinforces with all staff that an individual should not report to work if he or she is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.

For more information about Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.

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