Eleven residents of a central Indiana nursing home have died from COVID-19 while the overall state toll from the disease caused by the coronavius has risen to 139, state health officials said Monday.
In addition to the 11 dead at the Bethany Pointe Health Campus in Anderson, three workers there have been hospitalized, including two in critical condition, Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said during a state news briefing on the pandemic.
The state is helping to transfer residents there without COVID-19 symptoms to another skilled nursing home, Box said.
"This is a heartbreaking situation and illustrates what a brutal toll the COVID-19 can take on our most vulnerable populations. Unfortunately, this will not be the last outbreak of this kind," Box said.
In southern Indiana, three residents of nursing home in Mitchell have died from COVID-19 and 19 others there have tested positive for the disease, the facility said last week.
Meanwhile, the Indiana State Department of Health reported 12 additional COVID-19 deaths statewide Monday.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.