NEW ORLEANS — Eight residents at the Lambeth House retirement community have been diagnosed with the COVID-19, the disease cause by the novel coronavirus, as of Friday morning.
There are currently 33 cases of COVID-19 coronavirus diagnosed across the state, 23 of them in Orleans Parish.
According to a spokesperson for Lambeth House, an 84-year-old resident was taken to a local hospital on March 6 for pneumonia-type symptoms and tested positive for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
Now, eight residents of the retirement community have tested positive for the virus.
According to a Lambeth House spokesperson, on-site testing for the virus has begun. So far, medical staff from Ochsner has tested 13 people from the independent living floors. Those tests are now in the hands of the Louisiana Department of Health.
The elderly are considered the most at risk population when it comes to the coronavirus. People over the age of 65 have a higher fatality rate from COVID-19 than any other group.
What to do if you are sick:
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. These symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure.
If you recently traveled to an area affected by COVID-19 transmission, and you feel sick, stay home and call your doctor immediately. Do not go to the doctor without calling first.
If you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, call your primary care provider. If you do not have a primary care provider, call the Louisiana Department of Health hotline at 1-855-523-2652.
If you are severely ill and you think you need to go to the hospital, call 9-1-1 or go to an emergency room.
COVID-19 Testing in Louisiana
Louisiana health officials believe there is now community spread of the disease in the state, which means people are becoming infected from other residents rather than just people who have recently traveled.
The LDH expects that increased testing for the coronavirus disease will lead to confirmation of additional cases in Louisiana.
The health department is testing three groups of people, following guidelines from the Center for Disease Control:
- People who have traveled to certain areas and have symptoms.
- People who have had close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19 and have symptoms.
- People with unexplained acute respiratory illness.
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