New coronavirus deaths at nursing homes in Hayward, Marin County

Hayward - A nurse who briefly worked at a Hayward nursing home where nine residents have died said Friday that she was shocked by what she witnessed.

"When I was there myself, checking temperatures, vitals, and it was the most horrifying thing I've ever seen," she told KTVU of her experience at the Hayward Care & Rehabilitation Center. 

She said some of the 25 infected staffers she spoke to were suffering

"Really bad fatigue, body sweats, night chills, nightmares, just the craziest things you've ever heard. It's really bad," she said.

The nurse, who did not want to be identified, said there was no personal protective gear and that she had used her own N-95 mask.

"It's like going into a war with no guns, and we are losing this fight, unless we come together and find a cure and we find a way to stop the spread," she said.

Conditions, of course, vary. On Friday, a resident flashed our cameras as thumbs-up. Alameda County health officials said 41 residents at Gateway are infected.

A representative for Gateway on Friday denied any suggestions that medical staff were not adequately protected.

In a statement, Gateway said, "We will direct all available resources to the ongoing care and well-being of our residents, keeping their families and loved ones informed and the safety and protection of our staff."

Health officials are also keeping a close eye on the East Bay Post-Acute Healthcare Center in Castro Valley, where at least 15 residents and 21 staffers have been infected.

And at the Drake Terrace senior living community in Marin County, a resident has died after testing positive for covid-19. Four other residents and two staffers are infected.

Nursing homes said they were working with local and state health officials as well as the CDC in hopes of containing their outbreaks.