1 in 3 COVID-19 deaths in Shelby County come from senior living facility clusters

One in every three people who have died from COVID-19-related reasons in Shelby County have been residents of senior living facilities, according to data released from the Shelby County Health Department.

And clusters of COVID-19 continue to be found in such facilities — one was identified just Sunday.

So far, 18 deaths have been associated with a senior living facility. That's out of 53 total COVID-19-related deaths countywide.

Nationwide, more than 16,000 residents and staff of long-term care facilities have died, roughly a quarter of the nation's overall deaths from COVID-19, according to data compiled by USA TODAY. 

Senior living facilities are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, with close living quarters and an older population often with underlying health conditions. 

According to the CDC, eight out of ten deaths from COVID-19 reported in the United States have been in adults 65 or more years old. Just in Shelby County, the median age of those who’ve died is now 76, according to the health department.

In Shelby County, a total of 14 senior living facilities have known outbreaks of the virus. One, Highlands of Memphis Health and Rehabilitation Center, has as many as 42 residents and 11 staff members who have tested positive.

A total of 133 residents have tested positive across the facilities. That means a mortality rate of 13.5% among residents of senior living facilities who contract the virus, compared to a countywide mortality rate of 1.9% across all ages. 

Additionally, 73 staff members have tested positive for the virus. 

Clusters in Shelby County

Here is the list of facilities with known COVID-19 outbreaks in Shelby County: 

• Carriage Court of Memphis, cluster resolved, 4 deaths, 7 positive residents, 1 positive staff member
• Christian Care Center of Memphis, cluster identified April 2, 0 deaths, 11 positive residents, 8 positive staff
• Highlands of Memphis Health and Rehabilitation Center, cluster identified April 6, 0 deaths, 42 positive residents, 11 positive staff
• Parkway Health and Rehabilitation, cluster identified April 8, 3 deaths, 20 positive residents, 12 positive staff
• Heritage at Irene Woods, cluster identified April 11, 1 death, 10 positive residents, 3 positive staff
• King's Daughters and Son's Home, cluster identified April 11, 4 deaths, 13 positive residents, 7 positive staff
• The Village at Germantown, cluster identified April 12, 5 deaths, 8 positive residents, 12 positive staff
• Hancock Group Home, cluster identified April 16, 0 deaths, 5 positive residents, 5 positive staff
• Egypt Central Group Home, cluster identified April 20, 0 deaths, 6 positive residents, 6 positive staff
• Grace Healthcare of Cordova, cluster identified April 20, 1 death, 4 positive residents, 3 positive staff
• Collierville Health and Rehabilitation, cluster identified April 25, 0 deaths, 3 positive residents, 0 positive staff
• Memphis Jewish Home, cluster identified April 26, 0 deaths, 1 positive resident, 1 positive staff
• Darolyn Home, cluster identified April 29, 0 deaths, 1 positive resident, 4 positive staff
• Quince Nursing Home, cluster identified May 3, 0 deaths, 2 positive residents, 0 positive staff

Katherine Burgess is a reporter with The Commercial Appeal. If you have a tip about a senior living facility in Shelby County, please contact her at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-297-0160 or follow her on Twitter @kathsburgess.