COVID-19 outbreak reported at Oskaloosa nursing home

Oct. 6--OSKALOOSA -- There's a new COVID-19 outbreak at an Oskaloosa long-term care facility, the state of Iowa reported Tuesday.

As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, Mahaska County's second nursing home outbreak in the coronavirus pandemic was reported. So far, there are three positive tests at the Oskaloosa Care Center, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. The center is an 83-bed facility.

Between 10 a.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday, state data showed an increase of four cases in Mahaska County. There were two new cases in Marion County in that time span.

Statewide, there were 522 new cases reported. In the last 24 hours, there were 11 new deaths, 3,259 new individuals tested and 375 newly recovered.

The top-six counties in terms of growth were Polk (55), Linn (35), Story (23), Scott (22), Dubuque (20) and Johnson (20).

Statewide, hospitalizations continued an upward trend. As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, there were 413 hospitalized around the state, with 104 in the intensive care unit.

In the last 24 hours, the state reported that 61 had been admitted into a hospital, with the trend for new admissions now the highest it's been since the pandemic began.

The latest county-level data available from the state was provided Sunday, which showed five hospitalized in Mahaska County. At that time, there were also five hospitalized in Marion County.

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets. It is often mild and some individuals remain asymptomatic or have only cold or flu symptoms. But the disease can be more severe, require hospitalization and lead to death, particularly in older or immunocompromised people.

Experts, including those at the CDC, say wearing masks when in public, keeping at least 6 feet of distance between people when possible, and good hygiene can prevent the spread.

The Oskaloosa Herald relies on data reported by the Iowa Department of Public Health, using its coronavirus data dashboard at coronavirus.iowa.gov. Data is checked each day at 10 a.m. and then compared to the data previously captured from the dashboard to produce stories.

The state has changed how it reported the data several times, and local officials often produce data based on different standards or in different timeframes. Therefore, the data will not always align with other sources.

Kyle Ocker is the group editor of the Oskaloosa Herald and the Ottumwa Courier. He can be reached at kocker@oskyherald.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kyle_Ocker.

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