KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A staff member at the Riverbend Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center may be the one who unknowingly unleashed a devastating coronavirus outbreak at the Kansas City, Kansas, facility.
The Unified Government's chief medical officer raised that possibility in a timeline detailing what has happened at Riverbend, a hot spot in Wyandotte County and the Kansas City metro.
Dr. Allen Greiner said that sometime between March 24-27, a "Riverbend staff member's symptoms started during this window of time."
Greiner's timeline continues with an entry for March 27 and 28 that states: "Riverbend staff member reported to work with cough and fever we believe was from COVID-19; admitted to working without appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment)."
The timeline continues on March 29, when that staff member went to an area hospital and was given a test for the virus.
The next day, March 30, a positive test result came back to the hospital.
On March 31, Greiner's timeline said Riverbend officials contacted the Unified Government Public Health Department because the facility was short on PPE needed for general operations to protect staff and residents.
The health department delivered eye protection and face shields to Riverbend.
On April 1, Riverbend officials told the health department that one employee and one staff member had tested positive for coronavirus and the facility was testing 20 residents.
Since that time, well over 100 people, including residents and staff, have tested positive. As of Thursday, 19 people have died.
The Riverbend outbreak is an ongoing nightmare for Steve Brewster. Two days after Riverbend reported its first COVID-19 cases to the health department, Steve's father, Carl Brewster, was released from Riverbend without being tested for the virus.
Carl died two days later on April 5.
A test after his death revealed Carl did have coronavirus and likely exposed his family to the virus.
Both Steve and his wife, Janis, are 68 years old and diabetic.
The couple both found out last Saturday they have contracted the virus.
While Steve is doing well after experiencing some mild symptoms, Janis has been hospitalized twice and is still struggling.
"She had no appetite, and then when she did try to eat anything or even take her medicine or drink water, she couldn't keep it down," Steve said.
Gee Gee Robertson also told 41 Action News her 89-year-old mother Georgia Claridy contracted the virus at Riverbend and was hospitalized.
"I'm just devastated. My family and I are devastated at the way all this was handled out there at the facility," Robertson said.
In an email Friday, Riverbend Director Cory Schulte discussed preparations for patients returning to the facility after being released from COVID-19 treatment at the hospital.
"We expect that residents who return to us following their acute hospitalization for the treatment of COVID-19 will be placed on a unit staffed with nurses who have been close to the management of the virus since the outset," Schulte wrote in the email. "We will rely on their specialized knowledge as they continue to support the recovery of these residents going forward.
"As to the question of re-infection, we are carefully and consistently following the direction and guidance of the County Health Department, as well as the other federal and state agencies tasked with supporting health care providers on the issues of infection prevention and control," Schulte wrote.
However, when it appeared Georgia Claridy might be released from the hospital, Robertson had no intention of sending her mother back to Riverbend.
Last week, she was trying to find — or have Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly help set up a place — where only people who tested positive for the virus could get the ongoing medical care they need.
"They need a place set up for that because this thing, it's just out of control," Robertson said.
Georgia Claridy never did go back to Riverbend.
She died in the hospital this past Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Steve Brewster is hoping his wife Janis can turn the corner in her ongoing fight with the virus.
