Thirty-six residents test positive for coronavirus at care home that admitted three hospital patients not knowing they had the disease
- Cheaney Court welcomed three ‘covid-free’ hospital patients earlier this month
- However, the Kettering General Hospital patients did actually have the virus
- As a result, 36 people in the care home unknowingly contracted coronavirus
- This was due to some testing errors at the hospital where the patients came from
- All 36, consisting of 23 residents and 13 staff, are recovering well from the virus
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
A Northamptonshire care home has seen thirty-six residents contract coronavirus over the past fortnight after it unknowingly welcomed three infected hospital patients.
Cheaney House, based in Desborough, were told the three patients arriving from Kettering General Hospital two weeks ago were coronavirus-free, but a testing mishap by the hospital did not notice they were still infected.
As a result, 23 residents and 13 staff belonging to Cheaney House now have the virus, though the care home confirmed they are likely to recover.
Thirty-six residents and staff at Cheaney Court in Northamptonshire (pictured) contracted coronavirus after it welcomed three patients from Kettering General Hospital not knowing they had the virus
A Cheaney House spokesperson said: ‘We require written confirmation of a negative Covid-19 test before any resident is admitted.
‘Our policy also ensures that all incoming residents are placed in isolation and are tested again by us.
‘As a result of these precautions we were able to identify three people admitted from NHS facilities in the past month who tested positive.
‘Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, a number of other residents and staff have subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
The Desborough care home (pictured) announced that the 23 residents and 13 staff who contracted the virus are recovering well
‘The majority are now reaching the end of the cycle and medical advice, happily, indicates that everyone looks likely to recover.
‘The home is coping extremely well under the circumstances and morale amongst staff and residents alike is very good.’
Kettering General Hospital’s medical director Andrew Chilton admitted the hospital used the ‘best tests possible’ worked to national guidelines to finalise the transfer to the care home.
However, it later transpired that only 75 per cent of the tests the hospital used were accurate, which contributed to the error.