Three more residents of a Maryland nursing home died after contracting COVID-19 in an outbreak that has sickened dozens of the facility's residents and strained a short-handed staff, health officials said Tuesday.
The deaths of three residents at the Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy bring Carroll County's total to five, according to the county health department.
The residents were two men in their 70s and a woman in her 60s. All had underlying health issues, the health department said.
A Pleasant View resident in his 90s died Saturday night after testing positive for COVID-19.
Seventy-seven of the 95 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the health department. Eighteen tested negative.
The National Guard helped assess the residents. Personal protective equipment was provided by the Maryland Department of Health.
A physician was at the nursing home throughout the day Tuesday to provide support and resources.
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Nursing home staff is being tested. Some employees say they are exhibiting symptoms of the virus themselves and are afraid to go in to work.
State and local health officials are working to prevent more staffing declines, providing the home with extra masks, gloves and gowns that they are recommending be worn by all staff, including janitors and food service workers.
As of Tuesday, Maryland had 1,660 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
