Care home staff tested for Covid-19 in line with new guidance
STAFF at the council-run Wastview care home in Walls are being tested for Covid-19 in line with new Scottish Government guidance.
The testing is taking place today (Wednesday) and Thursday.
The Care Inspectorate said in April that there had been several Covid-19 related deaths at the care home, although Shetland Islands Council has never confirmed this.
Statistics from National Records of Scotland, meanwhile, confirm that Covid-19 is suspected to have contributed to the deaths of five local care home residents.
New government guidance says that all residents and staff should be tested if a case of Covid-19 occurs.
NHS Shetland chief executive Michael Dickson said the tests were not in response to any new cases at the home or any concerns about the quality of care.
Most residents in the facility have been swabbed more than once already.
NHS Shetland’s consultant in public health Dr Susan Laidlaw said that policy required all residents and staff to be tested where there have been confirmed cases of Covid-19 in a care home, regardless of whether or not they had symptoms.
This is with the aim of identifying any other people who are positive, even if asymptomatic, and isolating them, she said.
All results of staff tests will be available by the end of the week.
“Previously, the guidance was to test residents and staff in care homes who were symptomatic,” Dr Laidlaw said.
“However, as the pandemic has moved on and much more is known about Covid-19 and the impact on care homes and the vulnerable people who live in them, the national advice is now to test everyone in an outbreak situation regardless of symptoms.
“If any of the care workers do have a positive test result, then they will self-isolate and the public health team will identify if they have any contacts who may also need to self isolate, and may potentially need to be tested as well.”
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She added the NHS Shetland would also test a sample of residents and staff in care homes that have not been affected by Covid-19.
Council chief executive Maggie Sandison said: “Shetland Islands Council is working closely with NHS Shetland to support this. As a matter of course, any symptomatic staff or residents are already being tested.
“We will also support any other NHS or Public Health work recommended in this area, such as sample testing in other care settings.”
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