Social media led to erroneous death report at Sundale

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Sundale Nursing Home Marketing Director Donna Tennant says assumptions and social media posts contributed to the incorrect report of a resident death due to COVID-19 Friday.

“One of our employees saw that there was someone who passed away that they believed was one of our residents, so they put it on social media.” Tennant said, “Our staff began to respond to that and believe it was indeed a member of our resident family.”

Tennant says they contacted the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources because they thought the information was true.

“We did send shortly after that, a report that said we had been mistaken,”Tennant said,”However, they did not get that second message.”

Tennant says moving forward they are going to look at things much closer before a report is made.

“I do want to apologize to the family it effected and make sure they know our thoughts and prayers are always with them,” Tennant said.

One resident with COVID-19 has recovered and returned to the facility, one resident is being treated at Mon Health and two others are being treated at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Conditions of the patients are not available.