Missouri Veterans Homes see spike in coronavirus cases

COVID-19 cases have been especially prevalent in long-term care facilities, and the state’s veterans homes are no exception.

According to state officials, the Cape Girardeau facility has been among the hardest hit.

A sudden increase in coronavirus cases and four deaths in Missouri Veterans Homes in September led Gov. Mike Parson to order an external review of all seven Missouri Veterans Homes and their COVID-19-related operations.

According to Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) news release, information from the month of September showed:

• Cape Girardeau Veterans Home reported active coronavirus cases in 57 veterans and 12 staff members.
• Cameron Veterans Home reported active coronavirus cases in two veterans and two staff members.
• Mexico Veterans Home reported zero active coronavirus cases.
• Mount Vernon Veterans Home reported active coronavirus cases in 27 veterans and four staff members.
• St. James Veterans Home reported active coronavirus cases in 24 veterans and nine staff members.
• St. Louis Veterans Home reported active coronavirus cases in two staff members and zero veterans.
• Warrensburg Veterans Home reported active coronavirus cases in 12 veterans and four staff members.

As stated in the release, several deaths were reported at each home while there were known COVID-19 cases among veterans in the home during September. Cape Girardeau Veterans Home reported 21 total deaths; St. James Veterans Home reported 10 total deaths; Mount Vernon Veterans Home reported seven total deaths; and Warrensburg Veterans Home reported three total deaths. The number of deaths caused by the coronavirus is not known at this time.

“We have been fighting COVID-19 for over seven months now, and we have learned a lot about how to fight the virus since March,” Parson said in a news release Oct. 2. “The recent sudden positive case growth among staff and residents in our Veterans Homes, and most importantly, the tragic loss of lives of veterans in our care are, in my opinion, unacceptable.”

According to the release, Parson instructed MVC chairman Timothy Noonan to conduct a rapid, independent, external review of all seven Missouri Veterans Homes to assess their performance to date and identify what steps, if any, should be taken to improve their management of COVID-19.

“In order to combat COVID-19 at our Cape Girardeau and St. James Homes, we have been successful in obtaining additional staffing and resources from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,” MVC executive director Paul Kirchhoff said in the release. “MVC continues to perform robust testing with our staff and veterans and review our procedures to help mitigate the risks as much as possible.”

Parson has also directed the deployment of the new Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests to Missouri Veterans Homes to support immediate comprehensive testing of all staff and residents under state care, as stated in the release. These tests will help veterans homes identify positive cases more quickly and take appropriate isolation measures.

Upon the first COVID-19 case being reported in Missouri on March 7, MVC restricted access to visitors, vendors and volunteers at all Missouri Veterans Homes, according to the release. MVC implemented training and established infectious disease protocols as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which include twice daily temperature checks and contact interviews with all veterans home employees.