Arizona nursing home has 27 cases of coronavirus

A Tucson nursing home has confirmed that 24 of its residents and three employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. 

Sapphire of Tucson Nursing and Rehabilitation said in a statement Monday that officials at the 180-resident facility contacted the Pima County Health Department when the first patient showed symptoms of COVID-19 last week. 

The source of the infection is unclear and remains under investigation.

Jeanine L'Ecuyer, a spokeswoman for Sapphire, said the facility is following the guidance of federal, state and county health authorities. She declined to say, for privacy reasons, whether any residents or employees have been hospitalized.

About 250 employees work at the nursing home, at 2900 E. Milber St., north of Tucson International Airport. Employees are following infection prevention procedures, and those who believe they may have been exposed or are developing symptoms are being asked to leave work and self-isolate at home. 

Health experts say nursing home residents are at the greatest risk of death or severe illness from COVID-19 because many are elderly and have underlying medical conditions. 

The Arizona Republic detailed the risks to nursing homes from COVID-19, after a nursing home near Seattle was linked to at least 35 deaths from the virus. One expert, Tony Chicotel, staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, predicted some nursing homes are likely to see half their residents stricken with the virus.

Cases of COVID-19 have only recently been reported at Arizona nursing homes. Last week, the Department of Health Services said no cases had been reported in Arizona nursing homes as of March 24. But three days later, Maricopa County Department of Public Health said the county had seen a "couple of cases" of COVID-19 in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. County officials declined to name the facilities. 

L'Ecuyer said families were alerted to the cases at Sapphire through a phone messaging system. 

David Voepel, CEO for the Arizona Health Care Association, said COVID-19 is an "unprecedented" challenge for long-term care facilities. This time of year, facilities are typically most worried about influenza. But with the threat of COVID-19, he said the association in late February told its almost 200 members to limit visitors. Federal and state officials later followed with official mandates that restrict nearly all visitors. 

Those restrictions seemed to keep things in check for a while but "it’s just bound to get into some buildings because it's so contagious," Voepel said.

He said he was aware of the cases at Sapphire and has heard anecdotally there may be other nursing homes with cases but didn't have specifics. 

“I think we’re at the beginning," he said. 

Nursing homes are supposed to follow strict infection-control procedures, however, in Arizona, about half of the homes had at least one infection violation in recent years, according to an analysis of inspection reports by The Republic.

Sapphire, which is operated by a for-profit company, was not among the 74 facilities with infection violations in the previous three inspection cycles.

Overall, the facility has a two-star rating on a five-star scale, which is considered "below average," according to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The rating reflects health inspections, staffing and other quality of care measures. Sapphire's latest health inspection can be viewed here. 

Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8072. Follow her on Twitter @anneryman.

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