VANCOUVER -- Thirty-six residents of George Derby Centre in Burnaby have now died in a COVID-19 outbreak that has lasted more than three months.
“It’s the most challenging outbreak that we have,” B.C.’s top doctor said when asked about the situation at the Burnaby care home.
“It’s been exhausting and challenging for the families, for the caregivers and for the residents in that facility,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
The executive director at George Derby calls the situation “heartbreaking”.
“We all have questions about how it spread, absolutely,” Ava Turner said in an interview with CTV News.
But she also said that staff have been doing their best.
“I guarantee you the protocols have been followed,” she explained.
So far, at least 109 residents and staff have been infected in the outbreak that began Nov. 13 and is the third outbreak at the care home. Turner says this outbreak began with a resident, but didn’t elaborate.
“It’s disconcerting because you think once we get over this, it will get better but it doesn’t get to the over part,” said Mark Boyter whose 101-year-old mother-in-law is in the facility.
His wife, Iris Switzer-Boyter, describes the outbreak as “frightening” and says it’s difficult not being able to see her mom in person.
“It’s been so long since we’ve been able to see her again. We don’t know if we’ll get to see her again. We certainly don’t think we’ll be able to hug her and that’s what she lives for,” said Switzer-Boyter.
“She really needs hugs to keep going. That’s what a lot of older people rely on, that physical contact,” she explained.
The situation has left the couple discouraged.
“There’s nothing you can do. We really are hopeless, helpless,” Boyter said.
“The outbreak, it’s a big concern for us,” added Switzer-Boyter, explaining that she thinks staff are “trying very hard to keep her safe and so far, she’s safe.”
Turner says the number of cases is declining with 11 active cases right now. She hopes the outbreak will be declared over by the end of the month and says staff are working hard to make that happen.
“I have staff who every morning they come back, let’s do this. We can take care of this,” she said, adding that residents are scheduled to get their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine later this week.
Fraser Health said it couldn’t answer the question about the origin of the outbreak.
The heath authority also says it has worked with the site to proactively implement a series of measures, including restricting staff and resident movement in the facility and twice-a-day screening of all staff and residents.
“In addition, Fraser Health has also deployed care staff and our rapid-response teams which include clinical nurse educators, infection prevention and control experts, screeners, and patient care quality officers supporting with communication to families and assessing symptoms at sites with outbreaks,” a statement from Fraser Health says.
Nearly all residents of long-term care in B.C. have been given their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but the province continues to see outbreaks and deaths in care homes.
“The sad thing is most of the deaths we’ve seen in long-term care are in outbreaks that started prior to the immunization program starting,” Dr. Henry said.
“There’s a period of time before your body develops enough antibodies to give you protection… and that’s somewhere around 14-21 days is when your maximum protection starts after seeing the immunization,” Henry explained. “We have not yet passed that critical period of time since being immunized.”
