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The State Senate is preparing a hearing to determine the factors that may have contributed to the deadly virus outbreak in a pediatric health facility that has already claimed the lives of ten children and continues to grow.
Senator Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Social Services and Seniors, said that there was a need to answer many questions during the epidemic. adenovirus at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell.
"The public needs to know what has happened," he said. "The loss of a child is the worst thing that a family can endure, and our legislature is required to ensure that our infection controls and protocols are as current and effective as possible. as possible."
By the way, another case of infection was confirmed Thursday at the Wanaque Center, bringing to 28 the total number of pediatric cases associated with the outbreak, the Ministry of Health said Thursday. Officials added that a staff member of the institution – who has since recovered – was also sick during the outbreak.
The victims, who went from toddlers to teenagers, all fell ill between September 26th and October 30th. Health officials said affected children had a severely compromised immune system, including respiratory problems, before the outbreak began.
"The loss of these young lives is heartbreaking and our thoughts are with the affected families," said Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal. "We are working closely with the facility to conduct respiratory disease surveillance and to ensure that all infection control protocols are followed on an ongoing basis." We also discuss with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on standards applicable to these establishments. "
The adenovirus is a respiratory virus that can cause mild to severe disease, although a serious illness is less common. Symptoms may include colds, sore throats, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, pink eye, fever, inflammation or bladder infection, inflammation of the stomach and intestines, and neurological disease.
Heartbroken to announce the death of a tenth child residing at the Wanaque Nursing and Rehabilitation Center: https://t.co/6JG7whD6gm
I engage in discussions with @CMSGov standards for these facilities.
– Shereef Elnahal, MD (@ShereefElnahal) November 1, 2018
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health revealed a separate epidemic of adenovirus, this one at the Voorhees Pediatric Center in South Jersey. Four children became ill, but no deaths were reported.
The health department is awaiting the results of additional laboratory tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding cases at Voorhees, but preliminary test results have excluded type 7 – which has been identified in the epidemic much more serious from the center of Wanaque.
Vitale wants to schedule his audience in the next two weeks.
The honorable senator has already expressed concerns about the long wait before parents are informed, as well as the time taken by the state to get to the Wanaque Center after learning that there were children. ill.
Although health officials are still trying to determine the progress of the epidemic, Vitale said lawmakers may need to take regulatory action.
"It's awful – it's awful," he said of the growing number of deaths. "I want to hear the state.I want to hear the Wanaque Center.I want to hear the industry."
And he said that he wanted to hear the family members, if they are willing to come.
"The legislature passed bills on patient safety and infection control, and the industry fought us," Vitale said. "There is a process here, and on such a critical issue, we do not allow institutions to decide for themselves what are the best practices."
Health department officials announced plans to create a team of infection control experts and epidemiologists at the end of the month to visit the four pediatric long-term care facilities across the country. New Jersey, including Wanaque, to provide training and evaluate infection control procedures.
They will also inspect the University Hospital of Newark, where a possible bacterial infection (unrelated to the Wanaque Center outbreak) could have contributed to the death of a premature baby who was in the hospital. neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital.
The Wanaque Center in North Passaic County is a 227-bed nursing home, a rehabilitation center and a pediatric center offering short- and long-term care. Authorized for 92 pediatric beds, state officials said the facility had agreed to stop admitting new patients until the end of the epidemic.
Editor's note: Do you have a family member in the pediatric unit at the Wanaque Nursing and Rehabilitation Center or a child affected by the virus outbreak? NJ.com would like to hear from you. You can reach us at (732) 902-4559, or write to Susan Livio at [email protected], Spencer Kent at [email protected] or Ted Sherman at [email protected].
Spencer Kent can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the NJ.com site on Facebook.
You can contact Ted Sherman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @ TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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