Richland coronavirus victim fell ill after visiting Western Washington and self-quarantined

The first known victim of the novel coronavirus in the Tri-Cities area had limited contact with other residents of the senior living home where she lived before her death over the weekend, according to Jeremiah Gray, director of operations for Oregon-based Bonaventure Senior Living.

On Thursday afternoon the Benton Franklin Health District announced that it had two more confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to four in the two counties.

The new cases are a Franklin County man in his 40s, who is recovering at home, and a Benton County man in is 70s with underlying health conditions. He is being treated in a hospital.

Earlier in the week a case was confirmed for a Franklin County woman in her 20s who has underlying health conditions.

On Wednesday the health district announced the first death, a woman in her 80s who died over the weekend in a hospital. Test results for coronavirus later came back positive.

“We have reason to believe that the resident contracted COVID-19 from outside of Bonaventure of Tri-Cities,” Bonaventure said in a statement.

She and her husband had traveled to the Redmond, Wash., area March 2-4 and she was not feeling well when they returned, according to Bonaventure. Redmond is in King County, the heart of the coronavirus outbreak in Washington state.

Although the health district referred to the assisted living section of Bonaventure in Richland at its meeting Wednesday, Bonaventure clarified on Thursday that she had an independent living suite.

Those residents can choose to make their own meals in the kitchen in their suites or eat in the communal dining room and are provided housekeeping services and can choose from group activities. They receive no medical assistance.

Assisted living residents receive more help, including with medications and mobility issues, and any help needed from an on-site registered nurse or caregivers.

Patient self-quarantined

She and her husband self-quarantined in her suite until she went to the Kadlec Regional Medical Center emergency room on March 12 and died two or three days later at the hospital.

While she was hospitalized, her husband died of a heart attack, Gray said.

The health district and Bonaventure didn’t learn until Wednesday that she had a positive test result.

She had an earlier test for the novel coronavirus that came back inconclusive before the diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed with test results that were completed after her death, Gray said.

Bonaventure does not know if her husband had been tested for coronavirus before his death.

“It is our belief that the risk to our residents and team members remains low,” said Bonaventure in a statement. Because she was in the independent living section of Bonaventure, she had no contact with staff after self-quarantining, it said.

Her death has been a “heartbreaking loss for residents and staff,” Gray said. “Our condolences go out to the family.”

There were no other confirmed COVID-19 cases at the Richland facility as of Thursday. Two families planned to have residents tested.

Bonaventure has asked its residents not to go out into the community because of the risk that they could bring the infection back to the senior living home.

The center is offering to go to grocery stores for residents, help them place orders or share what it has in its kitchen, Gray said.

No dining room service has been offered since Tuesday and social activities since then have been limited to five or fewer residents at a time with social distancing restrictions observed.

No visitors have been allowed since early this week.

Residents of assisted living have their temperatures checked three times a day and independent living residents have temperatures checks two to three times a day, Gray said.

Temperatures for staff and residents have been checked since March 3, but Monday staff temperature checks were increased from only when they arrived at Bonaventure each day to an additional check mid shift.

District investigates

Small meetings with three to five residents are held to provide updates on the novel coronavirus and changes being implemented at Bonaventure, Gray said.

In addition, the director of the Richland home has reached out to family members to discuss each change in procedures to help keep residents safe, Gray said. A hotline also has been set up for families.

Bonaventure has sent out four letters on COVID-19 since Feb. 29 with information on coronavirus to residents and their family members.

Bonaventure Senior Living Communities started preparing for what’s now a pandemic at the end of January, including securing supplies and equipment and developing plans and training for coping with COVID-19.

It has ramped up screenings and restrictions since then.

It began screening visitors and employees at the end of February and also started limiting, but not entirely restricting visitors, beginning Feb. 29.

Regular staff training and updates on COVID-19 also began Feb. 29.

When new residents move in they are quarantined for 14 days to make sure they don’t spread any infection, including before any possible symptoms appear.

The Benton Franklin Health District, with help from Washington state Department of Health staff with expertise in COVID-19, is in the early stages of investigating the case.

It will be working to determine who she may have come in close contact with during the time she may have been infectious and working with Bonaventure to make sure the infection does not spread.

King County has had 56 deaths from COVID-19, more than half of them associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland, which offers 24-hour care for residents plus rehabilitation services.

This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 12:52 PM.