Two N95-type face masks, or respirators, in the foreground. (Photo: CDC/ Debora Cartagena)

City of Falls Church senior living facility The Kensington is in urgent need of supplies including personal protective equipment. According to News-Press sources, Clorox wipes and 500 adult face masks are needed at the facility where two residents have tested positive for Covid-19. N95 respirators are preferred but the center will take any masks, including DIY versions.

On Sunday, Fairfax County Health Department officials confirmed that a second individual living at the Falls Church facility had tested positive for the coronavirus. The first positive case at The Kensington was reported on March 19.

The coronavirus disease is especially dangerous to the elderly. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data shows a fatality rate of 3 – 11 percent for ages 65-84 and between 10 – 27 percent for patients aged 85 and up who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the United States.

The preferred type of mask, the N95 respirator, works as an air-purifying respirator, also known as a filtering face piece respirator, and is certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, according to the CDC.

Caution is strongly urged when dropping off supplies and those able to help are asked to call The Kensington at 703-992-9868 prior to drop off. Questions should be directed to the facility’s director of nursing, Brenda Pollack.