Your Dad and your family are in my prayers.

Hoping your Dad stays healthy!

Nickel, I'm sorry. I know that's frightening. All you can do is take deep breaths, try to be confident staff has been well trained and their protocol regarding residents and transmission management good. And there's that good chance it will be, that your father will be fine.

I had that same call on the 2nd. A staff member who had worked my mothers wing was positive. I was on my way out the door, no time to process the call and found my hair stylist talking me off a ledge when I'm usually just about the most composed person you would ever meet. Lockdown and cancelled window appts have just been lifted today. No further illnesses so with close attention to protocol, it can be done.

I'm going to add your dad to my prayers that he stays healthy. I'm convinced he will. We're too close to the vaccinations for our old folks for things to take a wrong turn now. ((((hugs))))

Thanks all, and thanks morz8 for the positive thoughts.

Saw this earlier and it makes sense to me. So many sitting ducks out there, it’s been just awful in the nursing homes. Between the spread and the lack of visitation (here it’s been virtually zero since spring in many places) it’s, yeah, awful.

you Wrote “four staff tested positive”. I live in California, and my TV news attributes the spread of Covid is partially due: lack of face masks, travel, and social gatherings.

Your father may die because of a turkey dinner.

Maybe staying at home during the holidays can prevent deaths.

How many people have to die because of those who think they are immune?

It is not only those who think they are immune but those without apparent thinking ability. One of the workers at a cafe had to attend a large family gathering for Thanksgiving now the worker is positive because the family are nice people and no one would ever have the virus. Sounds like other diseases that "nice people" never have.

On mayor's fb someone actually asked what the difference was between being at a restaurant and only taking your mask off to eat and drink or just taking your mask off when seated.

I will be thinking of all the people who did not have to have the virus and acquired it in the upcoming months.

Good positive thoughts going out to you and your family. I know you don't need to get undated with negative messages. At this time trying to keep positive is important.

"How many people have to die because of those who think they are immune?"

That is a rather specious statement in view of the fact that most health care workers - the care staff - tend to be over cautious about possible infection/contamination, particularly in an assisted living or nursing home situation where the majority of the population is at high risk. If anything, it might be any visitors or the residents themselves that resulted in exposure, rather than dumping it onto the staff.

nickle, you have my best wishes for your dad and it sounds like the facility is doing all the right things to keep it contained.

I live in California, visitors are not allowed. The staff in many senior care are not high paid medical professionals...

I'm sorry Nickel...hope he gets better soon!

I'm really sorry it's in his nursing home now. It is getting more prevalent here too. 32 cases in one day last week. Those are just the ones who are getting tested and I've thought all along people were infected and possibly dying without ever getting tested. They don't believe it is real.

There is also evidence that our 6 foot restaurant rule is a joke, S. Korea showing it is much more contagious at farther distances.

Also found out a nurse who works with us when we need help is positive. I don't remember the last time she worked with us but it's unsettling since we are cramped in a basement with no ventilation.

My older aunt tested positive in late October, and she had been to no turkey dinner, or any communal meal or event for that matter, had worn her mask on the rare occasion she went to the store, did mostly curbside or delivery. So it bugs me to hear blame placed on people without knowing the truth.

Nickel, my mother is in memory care, and I always read the weekly covid updates with trepidation, and any interim ones with even more nervousness. Wishing your dad all the best, and you, too.

In my region, we are still in double digits daily. 93 new cases yesterday, 63 today. One meat processing plant has an outbreak of 34 employees testing positive.

People are wearing their masks, I seldom see anyone without one. But people are planning to host Christmas, one person I know said she has a friend who are telling her family to park their cars around the neighbourhood so no one will know she's having people over.

Best wishes to your dad, Nickel.

Perhaps different areas of the country actually hire full time staff for nursing homes but I have to agree with Jim Mat that they are not highly paid or even highly trained medical professionals. Most of the care homes that I personally know of most of the care is done by part time CNAs who according to the advertisements are earning between minimum wage of $9.45 and $13.00. You can become a licensed CNA in this state after 4 weeks of training. Because of the part time nature most of the CNAs either work for several care centers or hold other jobs. It is very easy for them to pass the virus onto their patients before they have enough of a viral load to show on any test.

I have seen too many people posting that they will never be infected because they are healthy not to consider that they do not think they are immune.

I live in California, many people are not able to live alone in single family houses. There may be multiple families, working in different places, living, eating together. If one gets Covid, do the other residents stay home, and lose their wages?

Does each state get to choose who gets vaccine first? The reason I ask is I saw a NYTimes article that did not mention teachers. And, I thought the elderly were up higher on the list. Thank you.

Got the same message from Mom’s assisted living last night. In the spring 2 staff members were positive, then nothing all these months. Last night zero staff members, but 12 residents in memory care, none on her assisted side. Building is in lockdown and residents can’t leave their rooms for 14 days. Visitation opened up in September-appt only for one hour, masks at all times, temp check, no food or drink, and maintain 6 ft distance at all times there was a support group meeting ( via zoom ) on Tuesday. 2 women with family members in memory care admitted to breaking the rules. One fed her 99 year old Mother cookies. The other kissed her husband on the forehead and gave him a 10 minute shoulder massage and soda she snuck in. Now look what’s happened! The 99 year old tested positive and is a symptomatic so far. Yes, we ratted them out to the administrator. This is how it gets in. Now everyone there has a consequence of that.

If a resident is on hospice, that is another set of people coming in at least weekly. Our hospice agency tests their people weekly, and they go through the same screening when they arrive that everyone reversing the building does. And a family member can visit even when visits are shut down. I have visited my mother once or twice a week in her room to feed her lunch. I'm masked. I sit across the table from her to feed her. I don't hug her. I have held her hand, after washing my hands for 20 seconds and using sanitizer. But still, I suppose anything can happen.

Nursing homes are getting hit hard right now. It is for sure the care givers bringing it in, not family or friends as they have not been allowed to visit since March. All this isolation..did not one bit of good when the workers who are not highly trained and are not highly educated and are not highly compliant in their off duty hours bring it in. At least they keep you up to date. That is more than we get in the schools, or in DHs factory. Privacy rules are spreading this. We can't tell you who has it so you can decide if you were in contact. It's very messed up.

A friend of mine, an RN, worked at a hospice facility for years. She recently quit because the place was so lax about visitors that she felt she was endangering herself and her family.

My future DIL has decided to quit her job as a CNA at a veterans assisted living facility. They did a pretty good job controlling the virus there until September but it's been spreading recently with no end it site until everyone gets the vaccine.

She has worked there full time for over 4 years and was making $16.50/hour with the added $2.50 hazardous pay. She had an interview at Walmart last week but I haven't heard yet if she has put in her 2 week notice. My son is also working part time at Walmart right now filling online grocery shopping orders while he finishes up on his computer science degree.

Thanks for the well-wishes. I have complete confidence the staff are following our state Dept of Health guidelines. I don't know about visitors ... did they always comply, who knows. I wonder if retirement communities/nursing homes should have locked down in advance of the holidays, that's when the community rate spiked. As we've all seen, it's really really hard to avoid interactions with your community -- someone has to pick out and deliver groceries, medicines, etc. And sometimes you just get unlucky.

Well, hopefully the ten cases at Dad's place will resolve and that will be it.

laceyvail - Hospice is a tough one. You really gonna tell people they can’t visit, for as long as they want? My father was in hospice in August, they checked temp at the door, required masks, and had hand sanitizer all over; what more can you do.

One last thing-If you took a loved one out for thanksgiving, they would have a mandatory 14 day quarantine in their room. If they couldn’t comply ( due to dementia) a 24/7 sitter would stay with them and they are costly). No one at Mom’s facility left. Hopefully things don’t escalate. In our case it was most likely a visitor I’m sure they will have to put up partitions,or have someone in the room now whenever visitation opens again. You would think people would comply and not risk killing a loved one, plus others at the facility-mind boggling.

Give a gift of life this Christmas, stay home and stay alone, protect the ones you love. Be thankful each and every day you are well.

I'm sorry for your dad's situation, Nickel, and hope they can knock it out of your dad's home. I feel grateful I don't have that worry at this time.

It is for sure the care givers bringing it in, not family or friends as they have not been allowed to visit since March.

No, it isn't 'for sure' the care-givers. Could have hitched a ride with delivery people--medical supplies, groceries. Or the IT repair person. Or the medical equipment repair/ installation person. The plumber called in to fix a leak. The HVAC repair guy. Or the FED-EX, UPS, USPO package delivery person. Or who knows who all else.

Care homes have certainly tightened up who is admitted but they can't seal the system from outsiders.

I've been hearing people say the doctors are telling us not to get it. I just don't know what to think anymore

I moved from a metropolitan area suburb to a country town recently. Plenty of people there were still defying mask wearing requirements when I left the suburb - for instance not masking when going out for neighborhood walks frequently involving passing near others on sidewalks was still usual - but the area I am in now seems to be full of those who think the pandemic situation just does not apply to them at all. Who are acting as though it doesn't even exist.

Joann fl, if you are referring to whether you should get the vaccine against covid, stop listening to "people" and listen to your own doctor.

joann_fl, don't be confused. If you really have any doubts talk to YOUR doctor. Or call YOUR local hospital. They will give you good advice. For now, and what I think will hold up for the long term: everyone should take the Covid Vaccine they are offered, as soon as they can. The only exceptions are people who have extremely severe, life-threatening allergies. Those people need to consult their own doctor.

Found out tonight that a coworker's husband has it and he works in our building and comes to visit her often, in our office. She has a fever.

That is completely insane!! I'm so sorry for your situation, Kathsgrdn.

So sorry to learn this nickel! It's got to be a terrifying feeling. Wishing all concerned a good outcome. Nobody is 100%safe from this.

Spread is so out of control now, I'm wondering if we'll ever manage to beat back the virus, vaccine or no. The absence of competent leadership by our governor here makes my blood boil.

Meanwhile a new strain has already appeared in Britain. Ability of current vaccines to suppress it unknown, but it does differ from strain(s) for which these vaccines were designed in a specific way that could perfectly well make them useless against it.

Apocalypse thy name is Covid - everybody needs to get with the program or the pandemic is just going to become even more Hellish than it is already. With the program as in no getting together with people from outside of one's household for mask free Christmas customs*, no going to the supermarket without a mask to get a bottle of Coke (I saw this recently - after I got in line behind the jackass doing so, meaning I was standing in his breath trail until I noticed his lack of covering and moved away). In short no doing anything where there is exposure to the exhalations of others of unknown medical status - the current curse is highly contagious and is killing some, leaving others with lingering disablement.

*One infected girl went to a Thanksgiving gathering and left 14 infected people in her wake

Oh, dear, I hadn’t heard about a new strain. I think the strain coming from Italy in the spring was already different from what had arrived there from China.

Now I am really conflicted. DH and I have gone back and forth on whether to have our son and my brother — both of whom live alone, and my brother is by nature pretty self-isolated and besides he has risk factors so really is very careful — over for either a Christmas Eve supper or Christmas Brunch. With only 5 people, our dining room which can accommodate 14 could easily accommodate 5 people spread out while eating. In the living room, masks and opposite corners would be easy.

But, and there is always the “but”, it doesn’t take much.

We did a “zoom” Thanksgiving dinner, it was fun! I dropped off dinner at their apartments, and we all actually ate together while on zoom.

My other brother lives abroad and we will zoom with him anyway, so maybe...everyone can zoom...I’ll deliver the goods for a Christmas Eve and/or breakfast to the in-town guys?

Found out today, coworker is also positive. Crickets from management.

From what I understand, the British strainvtransmits more easily, but is otherwise very similar to other strains, so it shouldn't have much impact on vaccine effectiveness. The reluctance of some aged care staff to be vaccinated is a much bigger issue.

Crickets from management

Highly contagious + numbers of people unable or unwilling to undertake effective responses = Hell on earth. A pandemic of this nature is a new experience for most people alive today - now is not the time to be clinging to customs, habits, routines and traditions that promote the spread of airborne viruses.

One obituary in today's newspaper, one still serious, and the rest thankfully still mild or asymptomatic. And a few more positive's on other floors. Dad was retested this morning and is still negative. Praying for his facility to get vaccinated soon, but we haven't heard anything yet.

Stay the course on all the health measures, everyone -- now is not the time to relax.

Prominent people recently killed by COVID has become a daily feature of the internet home page I use. Otherwise regarding holiday fun this year my State is telling people

Here’s what we know: Gathering with people we don't live with—even close friends and family—may spread COVID-19. The more people we interact with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the risk of becoming infected.

The safest action for everyone is to avoid gatherings, even outdoors, and find different ways to celebrate this season.

SAFER GATHERINGS | Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19)

Seeing how widespread the giving of shots has become to me it does not appear that some areas are following what was originally announced which was for each shot given another shot would be held back for the second one until the supply had been updated. On the news tonight apparently some states are already complaining that the shipments are less than expected. It does not look good if the shipments are short. It may mean that like the shingles shot. For a long time the second shot was not able to be obtained within the scheduled time.

Seeing how widespread the giving of shots has become

Vaccinations started on Monday. I don't see that they are "widespread."

It was reported that there were found to be extra doses in some of the vaccine vials :

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/16/947386411/some-vials-of-covid-19-vaccine-contain-extra-doses-expanding-supply

terezosa the shots are being given all over the country. I think all over the country as in every state is probably considered wide spread. The company back in November stated they would have 50 million doses by the end of the year. Some of the news reports and on here mention various groups that are receiving the shots. Some on here have mentioned their relatives in nursing homes. Others medical workers.

While everyone that wants the shots should be able to get them later who receives them now should be more targeted to one segment then it should be expanded to the others. That was the way it was supposed to happen. Medical personnel first then nursing homes then others.