OAK HILL, W.Va. — Conditions have improved at a Fayette County nursing home where there was a COVID-19 outbreak in recent days.
State Health Officer Dr. Ayne Amjad said Monday only one patient and one staff member remained in isolation in connection with the outbreak at Hilltop Nursing Home near Oak Hill.
“Things have gotten a lot better,” Amjad said.
According to Genesis, which owns the facility, 38 residents had tested positive for the virus along with 17 staff members.
Amjad said unfortunately four patients did die.
“From what we understand, I believe some of them were under Hospice care as well. They were very sick before that,” Amjad said.
Most of those who got sick tested positive for the Delta variant of COVID-19 and many them had been previously been vaccinated. Amjad said older residents with comorbidities are more susceptible to the Delta variant.
“We did have some vaccine breakthrough cases there. We do want people to understand that people in nursing homes tend to be very sick and elderly,” she said.
The state is beginning to offer booster vaccines and in the near future it hopes to get approval to offer those in nursing homes across the state.