Coronavirus Illinois: Westchester nursing home COVID-19 outbreak has families concerned after 2 deaths

Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Coronavirus Illinois update: COVID-19 outbreak at Westchester Health and Rehabilitation Center raises concerns after nurse claims she worked while sick
As the coronavirus crisis continues in Illinois, two deaths have been reported at nurusing homes, including one in west suburban Westchester.

WESTCHESTER, Ill. (WLS) -- Family members are worried about loved ones living at a nursing home in west suburban Westchester, where there are several confirmed cases of COVID-19.

At least two elderly residents of the Westchester Health and Rehabilitation Center have died in the past two days.

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Londa Claybon's 83-year-old mother, Carrie, tested positive for novel coronavirus 10 days ago. They moved her from the Westchester facility to a hospital, where she died on Monday.

Claybon said the center failed to protect her mother.

"They should quarantine this whole place off nobody should be able to leave this facility here," said community activist Andrew Holmes.

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Holmes said he has been getting calls from family members losing loved ones who were being cared for at the west suburban facility along with several patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.

"Anybody that's going in and out of this facility should be tested," Holmes said. "It's not safe."

Over a week ago, Terralyn Baugh was still working at Westchester, saying she had been feeling sick for several days before that.

It wasn't until last Wednesday that she was tested for COVID-19. She's now hospitalized trying to recover. Meanwhile, she says she may have passed the virus to other staff and patients at the facility.

"We could have spread it to each other," Baugh said. "That's my major concern, is if I picked up this virus and I gave it to somebody else."

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State health officials said that they do not identify facilities with cases in an effort to protect patient privacy.

The center released a statement Wednesday, saying "We are doing everything in our power to protect our residents and staff. We recognize the especially vulnerable nature of those we serve and the staff who care for them."

A spokesperson for the center said they're working to prevent other patients and staff from exposure to the virus. But some staffers told ABC7 that it may already be too late.

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