Time to ask the tough questions. RI Nursing homes and COVID-19

Rhode Island is experiencing a high rate of death in its nursing homes and congregate settings, such as group homes. The Veterans Home issue of insufficient staff, not enough PPE, etc. has been reported on by all media outlets and in social media.

The questions that need to be asked – and we have sent to the RI Department of Health:

• How many residents who have had COVID-19 also have a DNR in place?
• How many residents who have died of COVID-19 have been treated only at their nursing home?
• What is the treatment protocol in nursing homes for COVID-19?
• How many residents who have taken sick with COVID-19 and/or have died from it were transported to a hospital for treatment? If they died at a hospital, where is their death recorded – as a nursing home death or a non-nursing home death?
• What treatments inside a nursing home are used?
• If Remdesivir and/or Plasma treatments are currently only used in a hospital setting, how many nursing home residents have received this treatment – how many survived – how many did not?
• How many residents have received hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and azithromycin treatments – in a hospital – outside a hospital?

Our colleagues at WPRI – Tim White & Kim Kalunian did a recent interview with Dr. Chan of the RI Department of Health, asking what is done for nursing home residents who get sick with COVID-19 – the response of tylenol, IV fluids prompted us to ask the questions, above.

Here is that news report –

The next day, WPRI reporter Kalunian did a follow-up report about the multi treatments being used in Rhode Island for people who get COVID-19 – Dr. Chan is once again interviewed:

Yesterday, a good news story was done by NBC10’s Lynzi DeLuccia about a 91 year old woman living at a Brentwood Nursing Home, in Warwick, and got COVID-19. “Celeste saw no hospital or ventilator. She was treated with hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax; she was secluded in an isolated section of Brentwood Nursing home for three weeks.”

Her story is here:

This morning a Boston Globe story by Lynn Arditi, “Rhode Island’s nursing homes thought they were prepared for the coronavirus. They weren’t” tells the story in a dramatic way.

A total of 111 persons, or nearly 9.5% of the RI group home population with developmental disabilities, have tested positive for the coronavirus as of May 13, and 7 persons who have died.

78-79% of all Rhode Island deaths have been loved ones in a nursing home or congregate setting.

Today an updated list of nursing home cases/fatalities is scheduled to be released from the RI Department of Health, and we will bring that to you as soon as we can.