Problems immediately emerged with what was released. For example, more than a month ago, administrators at the 180-bed Atria Willow Wood ALF in Fort Lauderdale confirmed that at least six residents had died of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. But the chart released Friday includes only three resident deaths as confirmed, while three remained “under investigation.”
Other elements of the data raised eyebrows. One nursing home in the Panhandle, the 210-bed Southern Oaks Care Center, was reported to have had three resident deaths — though recent data from health administrators showed 94 residents of the Pensacola home had been infected. That would mean that 3 percent of the home’s residents who contracted the disease succumbed to it. Based on previous data, 40 percent to 50 percent of long-term care residents infected with the virus die.