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Essential healthcare worker tests positive for COVID-19 at PMMA

An essential health care worker who last worked September 8 has tested positive for COVID-19 at Fort Scott Presbyterian Village.

The employee, who passed the pre-shift screening, wore personal protective equipment (PPE) as required for their responsibilities. The employee was not scheduled to work September 9, but called in to work September 10 and reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19. The employee was tested and the result was positive.

“Our top priority continues to be the safety of our residents and staff members,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s infection preventionist and vice president for health and wellness.

Through contact tracing, one other employee and one resident have been identified as close contacts. The employee is in quarantine, and the resident has been placed in self-isolation in their residence. Employees working with the resident are taking COVID-19 isolation precautions, which include wearing gowns, glove, eye protection and surgical masks.

The Bourbon County Health Department has been notified. The health department recommends isolating the resident for 14 days and monitoring for symptoms. No additional testing has been recommended.

Families were been called to alert them to the positive case, and all state and county mandatory required reporting agencies have been notified.

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

The employee is quarantined and will not be allowed to work until they meet CDC and KDHE guidelines for when an employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the employee’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the employee’s symptoms  have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees will quarantine for 14 days. Upon the employee’s return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

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

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