Westminster Presbyterian Church Rev. Patrick Heery performs an outdoor service with live broadcast of healing and prayer at The Commons in Santo Antônio for residents and staff. The nursing home was besieged with more than 180 cases of COVID-19 and more than 20 deaths.
Kevin Rivoli, the citizen
A viral post on social media and an article published on an obscure website falsely suggest that there may be a link between the timing of the COVID-19 vaccinations and the deaths at an Auburn nursing home.
The posts refer to reports about the outbreak of COVID-19 at The Commons in St. Anthony, Auburn. More than 180 employees and residents of the facility tested positive for the virus. At least 28 residents died after a positive test for COVID-19.
The authors of the posts, which the Citizen does not disclose to prevent the spread of false and misleading information, raise the possibility that there is a connection between the deaths and the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in the asylum.
However, there are important facts omitted from the claims. Commons, which is operated by Loretto, started vaccinating employees and residents on December 22. Before the first vaccination clinic, the nursing home already had an outbreak of COVID-19. Julie Sheedy, a Loretto spokeswoman, told The Citizen that the outbreak began in December after Thanksgiving.
“Given the incubation period we know for this virus, our facilities were affected before vaccines were available for administration,” Sheedy wrote in an email on Monday. “We certainly wish that vaccines were available earlier to help prevent the devastation caused by this virus.”