COVID-19 testing ramped up at long-term care homes but families still worried

The level of anxiety is rising for families with loved ones living in long-term care or retirement homes in Windsor Essex. 

As many as nine facilities have experienced an outbreak since the pandemic began, though two homes have been cleared.

Cyndy Marlein's 92-year-old mother Betty Pearen lives at Heron Terrace, where four residents have died.

"I was a mess. I called like three, four people, just crying because I didn't know what to do," said Marlein. 

"She's getting depressed, she's worried. She used to have six people sitting at her table. She's down to two. The rest are sequestered in their rooms."

Heron Terrace has reported 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in residents and another 13 in staff members.

On Wednesday the province said it is launching an enhanced action plan to contain outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care homes, while 494 new cases of the virus in Ontario were announced. Of those cases, 221 have been linked to long-term care homes. 

Premier Doug Ford said the front lines of the battle against the virus have shifted to long-term care facilities, where 114 outbreaks were reported across Ontario.

She quit smoking 40 years ago, but if she got it, she'd be dead. Ninety-two-year-olds don't do well with this.- Cyndy Marlein

Over the holiday weekend, paramedics in Windsor-Essex joined the campaign to test more residents of long-term care homes, swabbing 67 seniors at one facility in a five-hour period.

"Most of the residents in long-term care home were there because they don't have the capabilities of getting out to things like an assessment centre. The reason why we're focusing on those populations is because of that," said Justin Lammers, deputy chief of Essex-Windsor EMS.

"We want to make sure that we can bring it to them. We knew that there was going to be a need for more testing and we were able to realign some resources and get it done."

Lammers said EMS are the best people to be doing the job. 

"We're in a world right now of self-isolation and quarantine and staying home, so if we can go there, our paramedics are highly trained in proper PPE — personal protective equipment," he said. "We control the environment. We go in carefully. We withdraw. Proper disinfection. It's all about minimizing our risk here, and that's exactly what we do. We want to keep them in their environment, go in and then pull back out."

The Windsor-Essex County health Unit said the increase in testing will help the facilities deal with the COVID-19 outbreaks by managing the spread. 

Still it's little comfort to those who have family members inside. 

"I'm scared for her. I'm scared for a lot of people, but I'm scared for her, because I know if she got it — she has COPD," said Marlein.

"She quit smoking 40 years ago, but if she got it, she'd be dead. Ninety-two-year-olds don't do well with this."