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Three residents at the Burns Nursing and Rehab Center in Russellville who tested positive for coronavirus have died in the last month, officials told WAAY 31 late Thursday.
This comes after the facility announced that 30 residents and 18 employees have tested positive for coronavirus.
Burns Nursing and Rehab Center
Cam DeArman, the facility’s administrator, said a majority of the residents and staff members who tested positive are asymptomatic.
DeArman said it all began when an employee got sick in April. Now, 48 have tested positive.
"It all started when we had our first positive, which was an employee and I believe that was April the 18th, on a Saturday is when we found that out," he said.
After that, the facility tested all employees and residents.
DeArman said at least 3 are in the hospital now
"We've gone from isolating one or two rooms to isolating a whole hall,” he said. “So like I said, it is an evolving plan."
Mildred “Mickey” Plott is one of the Burns residents who tested positive for coronavirus and became sick.
Her son, former Franklin County Sheriff Larry Plott, said it took about three days to get a positive confirmation after his 87-year-old mother was tested for coronavirus.
He says she had a high fever at one point that has since gone down.
Her condition is getting better, but there are still some problems.
"She's only eating because of taking antibiotics,” Plott said. “It effects everybody different, but her experience is you don't eat as much or go to eat as much."
Plott tries to visit his mother outside the facility, waving through a window or giving her a call.
He’s still worried about his mom.
"Because you don't know who's next, and like we've seen other cases that's been on the different media outlets, they took all the precautions they thought were possible, and still contracted it," he said.
“It scares you to a point where you don't know what to do and even with the information that’s on TV.”
The Alabama Department of Public Health reports three total coronavirus deaths in Franklin County, but has not provided information to confirm those are connected to the three deaths at Burns Nursing and Rehab Center.
The Russellville facility says it was "proactive" in preparing the facility for coronavirus. The number of employees getting sick impacted work, but the facility says it can still provide all of its services.
Read DeArman’s full statement below:
