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Kirkland college reflects a year after nursing students exposed in first US COVID-19 outbreak

Lake Washington Insitute of Technology was one of the first schools in the US affected by COVID-19 after students and instructors were exposed at Life Care Center

KIRKLAND, Wash — It's been a year since students and instructors at Lake Washington Institute of Technology were exposed to COVID-19 at the nursing home that became the center of the first known U.S. outbreak.

Because of that, the college located in Kirkland became one of the first in the U.S. to take swift actions in response to the coronavirus, with very little information or guidance.

Theresa Cadondon, a physical therapist assistant student, said she started coming down with COVID-19 symptoms last February, shortly after meeting with an instructor who spent time inside Life Care Center of Kirkland.

“It was really scary because I didn't know what exactly to do,” Cadondon said Wednesday.

She went to UW Medical Center with a 104-degree fever, where she tested positive for COVID-19 and was among the first known cases in the state.

Other Lake Washington Institute of Technology students spent time inside Life Care Center and were exposed to the virus in the days before the outbreak became known.

“All of our nursing students who were then just in their first quarter, who were exposed, are still enrolled at the college and doing well and I think will be outstanding nurses someday because of the experience that they had at Life Care,” said Dr. Amy Morrison, the school’s president.

Today, select groups of students have returned to Kirkland campus for hands-on training. Other classes have thrived virtually, Morrison said.

“In fact, in our gaming program, we've seen an increase in enrollment, and many of our students are doing quite well,” Morrison said.

Cadondon, now fully vaccinated, is preparing to graduate this spring.

“It's been crazy, but I know that the school has done all that they could to give us a proper education,” she said.

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