Knox County COVID-19 cases spike due to outbreak at Christian Health Center

(Story by Charles Myrick and Mark White)

After a slow trickle of positive COVID-19 cases were reported in Knox County over the past few months, the number of cases more than tripled after it was reported Thursday that a local nursing home had nearly 50 patients to test positive with the coronavirus.

Results of a June 2 campus-wide testing for staff and residents were negative for the virus. Testing was repeated on Wednesday, June 24, which confirmed that 47 residents and 8 staff are positive for COVID-19, almost all of whom were asymptotic. All residents, families, and staff were immediately notified.

Staff, who tested positive, continue to be isolated and under the care of their personal physician. Residents, who tested positive, have been isolated at the Center and are receiving specialized care.

The Kentucky Department of Public Health continues to coordinate with the Knox and Laurel County Health Departments to support the outbreak of COVID-19 infection at the Christian Health Center in Corbin.

“For COVID-19 to affect a nursing home facility breaks our heart, as does every positive case. The threat to the community is low. All epidemiological tracing and contract information have been conducted with these cases. Any close contacts will be notified by the Knox County Health Department,” Knox County Health Department Director Rebecca Rains said Thursday.

Dr. Steve Morton, Medical Director of the Christian Health Center in Corbin and an Internal Medicine Specialist, said, “Working with the state and healthcare professionals inside the Christian Health Center, I can assure you of everyone’s commitment to providing excellent care and supporting a good outcome for the residents.”

Christian Care Communities President and CEO Mary Lynn Spalding added, “We plan to retest residents and staff later this week to monitor our progress as we continue to be aggressive in our virus protection protocols to ensure the appropriate infection prevention measures are in place to slow and limit the spread of COVID-19.”

A team of infection preventionists and epidemiologists have been conducting consultations, assessing practices, and providing technical assistance and support regarding infection prevention, the use of personal protective equipment, and staffing recommendations since timely notification was provided to the state.

Billie and Elsie Andrews of Corbin chose Christian Care Communities for Billie’s care and he’s been a resident for three years.

He tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving specialized care during his recovery period. Their daughter and son-in-law in Maryland also recently tested positive and are recovering at home.

“This triple diagnosis has been devastating to our family. The staff at Christian Care are like family and we have all prayed together during this difficult news. I’m in touch with staff every day and I appreciate all they’re doing to get us through this,” Elsie said.

Spalding added, “Christian Care Communities staff have been like family to the elders in our care. The local staff is being supported by Christian Care’s statewide team as well as the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Office of the Inspector General. As a faith-inspired team, we will most assuredly come out stronger on the other side of this and everyone has our commitment to always communicate transparently and be diligent in our care.”

Christian Health Center is located at 116 Commonwealth Avenue in Corbin, and is Kentucky’s largest faith inspired, non-profit provider of senior living communities and long-term care, offering nine locations across the Commonwealth including carefree senior living, assisted living, skilled nursing care, hospital to home care, day center programs for those living with Alzheimer’s, rehab services and more.

Christian Health Center’s COVID-19 cases helped raise Knox County’s total COVID-19 cases from 20 to 70 people, according to a Friday news release from the health department.

This total included all 47 residents and two staff members, who apparently live in Knox County.

On Sunday, the Knox County Health Department announced that two additional people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 raising the total number of cases in the county to 72 people.