Local Nursing Home Resident Does Not Have COVID-19

Ponca City Nursing and Rehabilitation, 1400 North Waverly, has confirmed that the recently widely-reported positive case may have been a false positive after on a second test administered for confirmation came back negative.

The facility administration issued the following press release regarding local reports that a resident of the facility has the COVID-19 virus. This press release was issued prior to the second, negative, test:

“A resident in our facility tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the new coronavirus. This resident has been in quarantine, after returning from the hospital, and was tested prior to being released from quarantine.  The resident remains quarantined in isolation from the other residents in the facility.  We are currently working with the local and state health department to provide testing of employees and residents to insure they are protected from further spread of this virus.”

“Please understand, we take the threat of this virus extremely seriously and we are doing everything in our power to keep this virus out of our facility and halt its’ spread.  These measures include and are not limited to: restricting non-medically necessary visitation to the facility, ending communal dining and group activities in the facility, screening our staff for fevers and symptoms of COVID-19 per CDC guidelines, and screening all of our residents twice per day for signs and symptoms of the virus.  We continue to follow the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Oklahoma State Department of Health.”

“We would like to thank our staff, who are on the front lines battling this virus daily.  We cannot thank them enough for their dedication and hard work in these tremendously difficult times, as the care for our most vulnerable Oklahomans.”

“We appreciate everyone’s understanding and support during these difficult times, and ask for prayers for our residents, staff, all health care workers and our government leaders as we continue to fight this virus.  Please direct all non-resident specific questions and requests for information to [email protected] and we will respond as soon as possible to your questions and concerns.”

Current research shows that between 9 and 18% of the current tests, depending on the type of test, can result in a false positive. The numbers are much lower on false negatives.

According to the press release, the resident was released from ‘the hospital’ and returned to the nursing facility in an infected state, which has been interpreted to mean that the local hospital, AllianceHealth Ponca City, was responsible.

However, Kimberly Bivins, spokesperson for AllianceHeath Ponca City, reportedly said that the patient in question was not released from the Ponca City Hospital. PoncaCityNow.com has confirmed that the patient was released from the Stillwater Hospital.