Most nursing homes in King County have had a Covid-19 case

It was an outbreak at a Seattle area nursing home that signaled the start of the national coronavirus crisis.

Now, King County officials say 69% of skilled nursing facilities in the area have had a Covid-19 case.

That’s 36 out of 52 skilled nursing homes in King County.

Overall, 1,282 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in county long term care homes. They represent just under a fifth of all of the Covid-19 cases in King County.

“If we don’t control it in the long-term care facility, we can’t control it in the community at large,” said Dr. James Lewis of King County Public health.“The opposite is true as well. If we don’t control it in the community, we can’t control it in the long-term care facilities.”

About a quarter of the cases have been staff members. King County says staff are now getting more access to face shields and other personal protective gear as part of the effort to control the spread of the disease.

Another recent effort: Residents who have been hospitalized are now being discharged to facilities with dedicated Covid-19 wings, such as at Shoreline’s Richmond Beach Rehab.

Dr. Lewis says this is limiting the spread of Covid-19 while giving these patients specialized care.