COVID-19 deaths and cases are increasing again in US nursing homes

COVID-19 infections are rising again in nursing homes in the United States due to the Omicron wave, with more deaths, new restrictions on family visits, and vaccination and boost to more residents and staff. It leads to a new driving force for seeking.

Nursing homes were the deadly epicenter of an early pandemic before the vaccine allowed visitors to resume last year. However, highly contagious variants have caused them setbacks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nursing Homes reported nearly 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents during the week leading up to January 9.

A total of 645 COVID-19-related deaths were recorded in the same week, up 47% from the previous quarter. And there is a fear that death may be much higher before the end of Omicron.

Although the numbers are increasing, the situation is not as dire as when the number of deaths in nursing homes reached about 6,200 per week in December 2020. According to CDC data, experts are currently acknowledging high immunization rates among residents of nursing homes. About 87% are fully vaccinated.

While COVID-19 shots and boosters provide strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death, sick and elderly people are uniquely vulnerable to the virus.

Nursing home officials say they are responding to the outbreak by limiting visitors to common areas and regaining social distance, rather than putting them in resident rooms.

Some states, such as New York, have their own steps, such as requiring visitors to prove a negative test and providing surgical masks to everyone.

Nursing homes are also working specifically to increase the number of booster vaccinations. 63% of nursing home residents nationwide receive additional doses.

Melvin Goldstein, 90, came to mind when her daughter Barbara Goldstein met her family indoors for the first time in a Hebrew home in Riverdale on March 28, in Bronx, New York City. I kissed you. Kathy Willence / Associated Press

The number of boosters is much worse for the staff. About 83% are fully vaccinated, but only 29% receive additional doses.

Nursing homes hold vaccine clinics and town hall meetings to emphasize the importance of injections.

They also got another tool to increase vaccination when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Biden administration’s vaccination obligations to most U.S. healthcare workers.

According to the CDC, about 57,200 nursing home workers, the highest number on a pandemic record, were infected with the virus during the week leading up to January 9.

Sharon Wheeler was shocked to learn that his 88-year-old dementia-stricken father was recently infected with COVID-19 at a nursing home in Naperville, Illinois. She said he hopes that the fact that he is fully vaccinated and boosted will help him succeed.

She suspects that holiday visitors and residents may have brought COVID-19 inside. Wheeler is not allowed to see his father, but staff told her that he had mild symptoms.

“I was so scared that I worked hard to prevent him from getting infected with (COVID-19),” she said. “He’s a very old man, and I don’t want to lose him like this.”

Vaccines are just one of many tools that should be used to protect older people from Omicron, says Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and senior researcher at the Federation of American Scientists. He also recommended visitor testing, mandatory boosters, and the use of medical grade masks such as N95 and high efficiency air filters.

“We need to build Fort Knox to protect our nursing homes, but we’re not doing that right now, so the number of incidents is skyrocketing,” Feigl-Ding said Thursday. “The number of hospitalizations and deaths is exponential.”

The virus devastated Rye’s Webster, run by Todd Fernardo, a nursing home in New Hampshire, in late November.

“COVID broke this building in 10 seconds,” Fernard said, eventually killing six inhabitants, infecting dozens, and 20 on the day the additional shots were due to be administered. I remembered an outbreak that made employees sick.

Since then, almost all residents have been boosted and employees have taken the third shot.

“We lost only one employee who chose to quit his job because he didn’t want to be vaccinated,” Fernald said. “Every week, more and more people are boosted and bring booster cards.”

It is also important to make sure that the facility has a test-like supply, said Lisa Sanders of Leading Age, an association of non-profit providers of aging services, including elderly housing.

“Elderly people and the people they care for should prioritize support and supplies when they become available,” Sanders said.

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