St. Elizabeth’s has one of Illinois’ coronavirus patients. How are others protected?
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St. Clair County’s third positive coronavirus patient is in isolation while receiving care at HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
A man in his 50s tested positive for the COVID-19 respiratory disease, the third person in St. Clair County to do so, state health officials announced Wednesday. They did not say whether his illness was travel-related.
“While we can confirm that we are caring for the positive COVID-19 patient, due to HIPAA we cannot release any personal health information on the patient,” hospital spokeswoman Kelly Barbeau said in an email to the Belleville News-Democrat.
The O’Fallon hospital is largely not allowing visitors, with some exceptions, and is checking the temperature of all physicians, staff and other people entering the facility, according to Barbeau.
Two women, one her in 60s and another in her 70s, are St. Clair County’s other two positive cases. The women were not hospitalized and were being quarantined in their homes, according to the St. Clair County Health Department.
As of Thursday, there were a total of seven coronavirus cases in the metro-east between St. Clair, Madison and Clinton counties. There were 422 cases across the state.
Patti Fischer, president and chief executive officer for St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, said in a statement that it is getting ready for more cases.
“HSHS St. Elizabeth’s has a multidisciplinary team onsite that is continuing to keep our colleagues prepared, as we know more cases of the coronavirus will arise in the United States and in our region,” Fischer said.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 10:56 AM.
