East Tennessee Nursing Home Reports Over Half of Residents Infected by Virus

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Coronavirus cases at an East Tennessee nursing home have nearly doubled in less than a week, officials said.

The Christian Care Center in Bristol reported 92 cases on Wednesday, up from 51 cases on Friday, Director Jennifer Skaggs said in a statement, the Bristol Herald Courier reported. The cases include 66 residents and 26 employees, she said.

There are 120 residents at the home, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, meaning that more than half have tested positive.

Three residents who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, five are hospitalized, 23 have have recovered and 35 are in isolation, Skaggs said. Half of the workers who tested positive have recovered and half are still isolating, she said.

Sullivan County Regional Health Department Director Stephen May said the nursing home has been working diligently with health officials to stop the virus from spreading.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some – especially older adults and people with existing health problems – it can cause more severe illness and be fatal.