NCH is part of Endeavor Health
Learn moreMarch 10, 2020
One patient in home isolation and another receiving care at Northwest Community Hospital
Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) has received confirmation that two more of its patients have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus.
The first patient is hospitalized at NCH and is in isolation. The second patient is in home isolation. The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed both cases. The positive test results need to be additionally confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Both patients are not related to previously identified COVID-19 patients who received care at NCH. The new cases both appear to be travel-related contractions of the virus and are completely independent of one another.
NCH’s top priority remains keeping patients, staff and community safe at all times. NCH continues to follow CDC protocols and is working closely with task forces from the CDC, Illinois Department of Public Health, and county-level public health departments to implement protocols and ensure each patient’s case is handled appropriately.
We continue to screen patients for symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath along with travel and contact history. Public health officials are working to identify and actively monitor individuals who were in contact with both patients in an effort to reduce the risk of additional transmission. Staff identified as having had contact with these patients are being screened, and based on their risk assessments, appropriate steps will be taken to monitor, test and/or home isolate.
To protect patient privacy, no additional information can be provided.
For more information, contact Illinois Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Hotline at 1-800-889-3931.