HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Henrico County, a rehab facility struggling with a coronavirus outbreak that has killed 16 residents, disclosed Thursday that 92 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. The center reported five deaths in the last 24 hours.
Of the positive cases, 53 are asymptomatic and 39 are experiencing symptoms ranging from mild to severe, the center said in a release. The uptick in confirmed cases came after the facility decided to test each patient due to concerns over the outbreak.
Test results for 35 residents came back negative, according to Canterbury.
Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center previously confirmed 25 staff members tested positive for the virus as well but did not provide any further numbers Thursday. A message from the center’s administrator was shared in its release:
Making sense of the numbers
The medical community has acknowledged from the outset of the novel coronavirus pandemic that as testing volume increases, the number of positive COVID-19 cases will also increase. And as more testing capacity comes available this is proving true, with diagnoses skyrocketing over the past week here in Virginia and nationwide. The findings at Canterbury are consistent with other recent mass testing studies. It is also believed that if mass testing were done at other facilities and in communities where there have been confirmed cases of COVID-19, large numbers of asymptomatic and mild cases of the virus would be found as well.
We now know that 58% of our COVID-positive population is asymptomatic. This knowledge is power, providing insight that has enabled us to quickly separate positive residents from those who are negative.
Regarding our asymptomatic population, it is hopeful that many of these residents will never develop severe symptoms. It is important to know that based on patterns observed elsewhere, many are likely to remain asymptomatic. Additionally, a majority of people infected with coronavirus – even including those who are at higher risk of infection because they are in communal environments such as schools, cruise ships, jails, hospitals and nursing homes, or live in more densely populated cities – experience only mild to moderate symptoms.
Currently, all COVID-19 patients at Canterbury are being cared for in an isolated unit with dedicated nursing and certified nursing assistant staff. We continue to work closely with local and state health departments and are taking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocols. For more information, please refer to our family email from Tuesday, March 31, which describes the specific infection control protocols we have in place.
Our team currently is in the process of making phone calls to all Canterbury families.
We understand that this email message may heighten your concern about your loved one at a time that is already extremely difficult. Our hearts are with you, and we also are feeling the weight of this new information. Please know that our team is working tirelessly to provide the best possible care for each and every Canterbury resident.
Sincerest regards,
JEREMIAH DAVIS, ADMINISTRATOR
