MCDH 'Concerned' About State's Long-Term Care Case Reporting

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The McHenry County Department of Health said it's concerned about the confusion surrounding the number of the coronavirus cases in long-term facilities being reported on the Illinois Department of Public Health's website. In a Monday news release, MCDH said it's concerned about the confusion the numbers listed on the IDPH website may be causing families of residents in these facilities.

According to MCDH, here's how these numbers are totaled and reported:

• Long-term care facilities are required to report any coronavirus-like illness to their local health departments "immediately."
• When an outbreak of the coronavirus is identified within the facility, the facility is required to report the number of staff and residents that test positive for the coronavirus, and those that meet the coronavirus outbreak case definition that have not been tested, every day.
• The local health department confirms the numbers provided daily from the facility, and these numbers are reported from the local health department to the IDPH.

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"It is MCDH’s understanding that some facilities are reporting to their residents and families just the positive tested residents or just the positive tested residents and staff, therefore these numbers will be lower than (SIC) what IDPH is reporting," MCDH said in the news release.

However, IDPH states that long-term car facility cases reported on the website "include lab confirmed cases and cases meeting the CDC outbreak case definition."

As off April 24, IDPH reports:

• Alden Terrace of McHenry: 99 outbreak reported cases, three deaths
• Cross Roads Care Center: 38 outbreak reported cases, two deaths
• Fair Oaks Health Care Center: Six outbreak reported cases
• Revere Court of Crystal Lake: 12 outbreak reported cases, two deaths
• The Fountains at Crystal Lake: 66 outbreak reported cases, four deaths
• The Springs at Crystal Lake: 22 outbreak reported cases, one death

These numbers report a significant increase just days after there were no reported deaths at the two facilities where cases had been reported in the county.