Latest COVID-19 outbreak shows progress, Valley Hi administrator says

After going through two outbreaks of COVID-19 over the past year, Valley Hi Nursing Home Administrator Tom Annarella said he sees big differences in how the county-run facility handled the two situations.

Annarella appeared before the McHenry County Board’s Valley Hi committee Tuesday in the committee’s first meeting since it was created in October. He updated the committee on the facility’s progress with the latest outbreak and explained why the current outbreak, which began in late October, is different from the one in December 2020.

“A year later, we can manage [COVID-19] in the building and not have to go into a full blown lockdown with the skills we acquired over the year,” he said.

The current COVID-19 outbreak at the county-run Woodstock facility led to the infection of 18 residents and seven staff members as of Monday. One resident who was in hospice care before contracting the virus died last week. However, all other residents and staff members who came down with the virus experienced mild symptoms and did not require hospitalization, according to notes obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request.

The current outbreak began with two employees testing positive, records show. The first likely got the virus at home from their child.

It’s a stark contrast to the December 2020 outbreak when at least 43 residents were infected and at least four died as a result. Valley Hi was fined $16,250 by the state for mishandling that outbreak by keeping infected residents with their roommates who had tested negative.

“[In 2020], people were really sick. Here, more than likely if you didn’t have the surveillance testing, you would’ve caught maybe one or two of them because of the cough and not feeling well,” Annarella said.

Vaccines are making a big difference this time.

“Everybody in my building was vaccinated in January,” Annarella said. “If the efficacy is waning, that is why you get a breakthrough case, but it was very mild. You boost them all up is what we did and hopefully that will get us through it.”

In 2020, no residents were vaccinated. As of Friday, 81% of staff members and 97% of residents were vaccinated, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Only two staff members involved in the current outbreak were not vaccinated, according to documents.

Last Thursday, Valley Hi hosted a booster clinic for eligible staff and residents. Some were not eligible because they had COVID-19 in the last month, Annarella said.

Another major difference at Valley Hi during this outbreak is the access for families. The facility is not in lockdown despite the outbreak status. Family members still can visit a resident’s room – so long as the resident isn’t infected – and events for residents still are taking place.

“Families are now more actively involved in the building, but we’re not allowing them in common areas,” Annarella said, adding that Valley Hi provides each visitor with an N-95 mask they must wear at all times, even in private rooms.

Even amid the outbreak, Valley Hi held a normal Thanksgiving celebration and plans to continue with Christmas activities. Annarella said it’s a testament to how much has changed in the last year with understanding the virus and how to protect people.

“We’ve been able to amend our protocols as we’ve learned. We’re still planning to do the Christmas gifts and the Santa Claus like we always have,” he said.

Two residents of the 18 residents to test positive remain in isolation, Annarella said, but he hopes the outbreak is largely over. He said the resident who tested positive this week most likely got the virus outside the building.

Annarella also reported Tuesday that ongoing worry about finding new employees has eased slightly.

“Things have stabilized, it’s been kind of nice over the last few weeks to not feel like we’re chasing our tails,” he said.

Three new employees started on Tuesday, which Annarella said takes away some of the burden from current employees. Valley Hi had been dealing with hiring issues and potential departures related to vaccine mandates throughout the year like many other businesses.

Annarella said they are still looking to hire 16 new employees, but feel like they are in a manageable spot for now. He said they have not lost any employees to new jobs recently, except for some who have retired.

Valley Hi currently has 65 residents, which Annarella said can be adjusted if they hire more employees.