Improper cleaning fuelling outbreaks
Two more Niagara long-term-care homes dealing with COVID-19
Improper disinfecting methods and poor use of protective equipment by staff are key reasons why long-term-care homes in Niagara are in the grip of deadly COVID-19 outbreaks, says the region’s acting medical officer of health.
Dr. Mustafa Hirji said Thursday that public health officials have been retraining staff at three of six long-term-care homes where outbreaks of the novel coronavirus have infected at least 121 residents and 59 staff.
At least 30 residents with the virus have died, comprising more than 88 per cent of the total number COVID-19-related deaths in Niagara.
Hirji said public health inspectors are spending up to four hours at a time doing regular, in-depth inspections of how staff at Lundy Manor in Niagara Falls, along with Seasons Retirement Community and Royal Rose Place, both in Welland, are disinfecting their buildings.
“I prefer to use the word ‘disinfecting’ rather than ‘cleaning’ because cleaning is just really removing the visible dirt or dust. Disinfection is about killing the virus,” Hirji said.
He said some of the disinfecting agents used require “con-
tact time” to work on a surface they are applied to, usually a few minutes. If they are wiped away too quickly, the chemicals do not have an opportunity to kill any virus that might be present.
Staff in the homes were wiping away the disinfectant too soon, he said.
Hirji also noted some staff were not using their protective equipment properly.
He said staff must don the gear when going into a resident’s room, and have to remove it when they leave, and the be disposed of. Fresh equipment has to be worn when they enter another resident’s room.
“In some cases, staff were going to multiple rooms in the same (personal protective equipment). That staff person might still be safe, but they could be spearing the virus if their equipment is contaminated,” Hirji said.
“There are also protocols about how to take that equipment off so you don’t contaminate yourself, and that was not always happening.”
Public health staff and personnel from the Niagara Health hospital system have been training staff on proper infection control measures.
In addition to the three homes with the majority of cases, Albright Manor in Beamsville has a declared outbreak with a single case.
Outbreaks were declared in two other homes Thursday — Woodlands of Sunset, which straddles the Welland-Pelham border, and Henley House in St. Catharines. It was not clear at press time how many cases those homes have.
Public health said there were seven new confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday, two of which were connected to the long-term care home outbreaks. Another case is connected to a previous infection and, in the other four cases, the source of infection is not known.
The new cases bring Niagara’s total number of COVID-19 infections since March 13 to 412. Of those cases, 158 people have recovered and at least 36 people with the virus have died.
That leaves Niagara with 218 active cases.
Hirji said there haven’t been any new cases at Lundy Manor, Seasons and Royal Rose for the past few days. If that trend continues for at least a week, it will be a sign that newly enhanced infection control measures at the homes are working. Even then it may be weeks before those outbreaks are declared over.