Carol Stream senior campus sees at least 7 coronavirus deaths

A Carol Stream senior living campus in the throes of a coronavirus outbreak has seen at least seven deaths and nearly two dozen infections among other residents since reporting the first cases three weeks ago.

The virus originally surfaced in the skilled nursing section at Covenant Living's Windsor Park with two residents testing positive March 26.

Three people in Windsor's assisted-living facility and one living independently in an apartment on the North Avenue campus also have the virus, an indication it could be outracing containment steps.

Executive Director Ben Stevens cautioned that the campus is preparing for more cases with increased availability of testing in hospitals. Some families have asked to test all residents and staff members to find asymptomatic carriers who can transmit the virus.

But public health officials have not recommended testing for those not showing symptoms. About 600 people live at the 60-acre community operated by Skokie-based Covenant Living.

"Although the number of outstanding tests and individuals showing symptoms is diminishing, the advice of the county health department has been consistent to focus the testing resources on those individuals showing symptoms only," spokesman Randy Eilts said Tuesday in written responses to questions. "If someone is exhibiting any symptoms, the attending physicians are ordering testing."

While some nursing homes are confronting shortages of healthy workers, Windsor Park has exceeded state staffing requirements for its health center, Eilts said.

"I will reiterate our employees are following all of the necessary preventive measures, including wearing of masks, gloves, PPE, enhanced cleanings and disinfections in all health care rooms, and communitywide in all common areas and the isolation of any resident with symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19," Stevens wrote in a letter to families this weekend.

Windsor also has followed up with the "very few individuals" who may have had contact with the infected resident who is now self-quarantining.

"Although our residents are encouraged to shelter in place and only leave for essential things, we know that we have residents that must leave for legitimate reasons," Eilts said. "Even though their contact points outside of the community were noted, it is nearly impossible for our residents to truly pinpoint the original source of their contact with the coronavirus."

Windsor is not releasing information about patients who are recovering or who have fully recovered, citing privacy concerns.