Despite being under strict lockdown since the beginning of March, 19 patients tested positive for Covid-19 and one has died of Covid-19 at one of two state frail care centres in the province. Lorraine Frail Care is run by Life Esidimeni, part of the Life Healthcare group. 

The centre, based in Lorraine in Port Elizabeth, currently houses 118 patients. One of the positive patients has been admitted to Livingstone hospital and one has died. The others are kept in isolation at the centre. It is understood that by Tuesday 26 May another death at the centre was also linked to the outbreak. 

The Eastern Cape Department of Health has recommended that the facility is deep cleaned and that patients who have comorbidities such as high blood pressure and diabetes are admitted to hospital and that the families should be consulted.

The Nelson Mandela Bay district health team was asked to monitor the facility closely. 

A spokesperson for the Department of Health, Sizwe Kupelo, confirmed that 19 patients and 10 staff members had tested positive. 

“We are encouraged by the recoveries,” he said. “All the staff members have gone through two weeks’ isolation at this stage. We are still concerned about the growing number of infections. We encourage the frontline workers and health workers who have already demonstrated courage to continue saving lives.”  

Very few family members of patients at the centre were informed of the outbreak. Most were told that all was well 

“We did not know that it was this bad. We suspected that something was wrong but they told us that everything was under control. We cannot see my sister or her medical report. Her social worker is on leave and nobody was appointed to replace her. It was only when we spoke to one of the ward nurses that we became concerned,” the brother of one patient said. 

On 30 April a staff member was flagged during the screening process for showing flu-like symptoms. She tested positive for the virus and was later hospitalised. This staff member worked in the ward with bedridden patients and also visited other wards. 

“They took patients to Livingstone Hospital for tests and then brought them back. They are now in isolation at the centre.”  

Another woman said they were told their sister was the only one who had the infection. “I am heartbroken over this,” she said. 

The outbreak started in the facility’s Protea Ward where patients are bedridden and 100% dependent on care by staff members. Almost all of the patients are over the age of 50. Many are profoundly disabled. 

It is understood that staff had been screened at the centre since the start of the outbreak. 

Frail care centres and old age homes have been in full lockdown with no visitors allowed since the outbreak of coronavirus infections was declared a State of National Emergency by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the beginning of March. 

On 30 April a staff member was flagged during the screening process for showing flu-like symptoms. She tested positive for the virus and was later hospitalised. This staff member worked in the ward with bedridden patients and also visited other wards. 

The next day a staff member from a nursing agency was cleared for duty in the morning as she did not report any symptoms. In the afternoon she complained of a sore throat.  

Five days later the first patient was reported to have a fever and also presented with diarrhoea and flu symptoms. He tested positive for the virus on May 7. 

Two days later the Eastern Cape Department of Health tested 35 staff members at the centre, seven of whom were found to be positive. 

Over the next two days all patients were tested.  Nineteen patients tested positive with another one still being verified. Ten staff members are now positive. 

Before the outbreak, according to information provided to the Department of Health, four patients returned from hospital and all were quarantined for 14 days. 

Many of the patients who tested positive are high risk and have other chronic health problems like hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, neurological disorder or asthma. 

An 83-year-old died on May 23. 

Two years ago the Eastern Cape government threatened the closure of the centres. 

Families obtained a court order to keep the patients and Life Healthcare’s contract to run the Lorraine Centre and the Life Esidimeni Algoa Frail Care Centre. 

Families have not had contact with patients at the centre since March and were initially told that visits would be stopped for three months. 

All of them said they did not have any complaints about the way staff were caring for their loved ones.

“I can only phone my brother. People are so frail there, I understand why they closed the centres for visits. None of us wanted the patients to be exposed to the virus. All I want to know is if we can still drop off some chips or biltong for him,” said one family member. 

Maureen Andreka from the Algoa Bay Council for the Aged, Nelson Mandela Bay’s biggest facility for the elderly, said their 550 residents had been spared any infections so far but all the old age homes in the metro fear they might be next. 

The managing director of Life Esidimeni, Puseletso Jaure, said patient confidentiality prevented them from disclosing patient information other than to the relevant provincial health department. 

“We can confirm that some patients and employees tested positive for the virus at Life Esidimeni Lorraine frail care facility. The necessary notifications to the NICD and Department of Health have been made. 

“We can confirm that the first case was from a facility healthcare worker who tested positive in April. Having said that, we would like to advise that our facility followed the correct procedures as was confirmed by a provincial health department audit. 

“We are confident that our screening processes at the facility have been tight from the onset and continue to remain so.  

“It is important to note that community transmission of the virus is a national challenge and one which the facility is not immune to. Healthcare workers may be exposed to the virus within the community and not be aware they are a carrier of the virus if asymptomatic or presymptomatic. Additionally, screening processes may not necessarily pick up a positive case in an asymptomatic patient,” she said. 

She said they had suspended all visits to the centres in March and are very strict about patients and healthcare workers wearing masks. She said patients are monitored and screened three times a day. 

Employees who tested positive, she added, were offered accommodation if they were not able to self-isolate at home.

“The facility does have dedicated isolation wards for positive Covid-19 patients and patients under investigation [PUI]. Patients are transferred to a state facility should hospitalisation be required. 

“We are confident that we have taken the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus. This was confirmed by a provincial Department of Health audit of the facility and an internal audit by Life Healthcare. This includes the healthcare worker’s exposure policy where either healthcare workers are exposed to a person with Covid-19 or tested positive for the virus,” she added. 

Jaure said family members of sick patients were informed “as per standard practice” that there had been a change in their condition. DM/MC