Brynwood Center closes its doors to visitors
due to the coronavirus
Debbie Snapp
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Measures to protect senior citizens against coronavirus are now being implemented to safeguard residents at Monticello’s two local nursing homes.
As of Thursday, March 12, Brynwood Center H&R and its administrator Rhod Fenelus are discouraging all visits to the facility in the interest of protecting their elderly residents. The facility is following all measures and requests from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), by discouraging all visits not medically necessary to its residents and closing its doors to visitors.
Cross Landings H&R Center and its administrator Mark Daniels were not available for comment.
President Trump addressed the nation on Wednesday, March 11, from the Oval Office stating that “For the vast majority of Americans, the risk is very, very low. Young and healthy people can expect to recover fully and quickly if they should get the virus. The highest risk is for the elderly population with underlying health conditions. The elderly population must be very, very careful. In particular, we are strongly advising that nursing homes for the elderly suspend all medically unnecessary visits. In general, older Americans should also avoid nonessential travel in crowded areas. We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days.”
On that same day, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic.
On Wednesday, March 11, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis placed limits Wednesday, March 11, on who can visit Florida’s nursing homes and other assisted living facilities. “Florida will and must take every step to prevent real and potentially fatal threats to our elderly and senior populations and those with underlying health conditions,” said Mary Mayhew, Florida’s Secretary for the Agency for Health Care Administrations, which oversees nursing home and other assisted care facilities.
Unusual for a virus that has made the jump from one species to another, it appears to transmit effectively in humans - current estimates show that without strong containment measures the average person who catches COVID-19 will pass it on to two others.
The virus also appears to have a higher mortality rate than common illnesses such as the seasonal flu. The combination of coronavirus’s ability to spread and cause serious illnesses has prompted many countries, including the United Kingdom, to introduce or plan extensive public health measures aimed at containing and limiting the impact of the epidemic.
At this time, there is no known cure to the Coronavirus, but drugs that are known to work against some viruses are being trialed in China, where there are thousands of patients, and new trials are starting in the United States and other countries.
One of the few mercies of the spreading coronavirus is that it leaves young children virtually untouched - a mystery virologists say may hold vital clues as to how the virus works.
The new coronavirus has proved especially deadly to persons over the age of 80. For ages 10 to 39, the fatality rate is very low; fatalities and severe symptoms are almost nonexistent at younger ages.
Some measures that people are urged to employ to combat Coronavirus: cover your mouth with tissue when you cough or sneeze into your shoulder; throw tissue in the trash immediately; wear a face mask if you're sick; clean your hands often with soap and water; use hand sanitizer frequently; clean and disinfect frequently touched areas; avoid close contact; and stay at home if you or a family member is sick to avoid spreading the illness.