Nursing home COVID-19 cases increased quadrupled in surge conditions

Washington-Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to build protective shields around nursing homes Coronavirus Increasing cases are occurring in state facilities that have been hit hard by the recent onslaught of COVID-19.

Analyzing federal data from the Associated Press’s 20 states, the number of new weekly cases for residents almost quadrupled from 1,083 to 4,274 from late May to late October. According to a study by health researchers at the University of Chicago, Rebecca Gorges and Tamara Konetska, resident deaths more than doubled from 318 to 699 per week.

Similarly, weekly cases of surge-conditioned nursing home staff more than quadrupled from 855 in the week to May 31 to 4,050 in the week to October 25. The virus invades the facility. When those unconscious staff test positive, they stop taking care of the resident and put pressure on the rest of the staff.

The government has allocated $ 5 billion to nursing homes and has shipped nearly 14,000 high-speed testers to supply all facilities in an attempt to increase inventory of protective equipment. But the data is a broader White House game plan that encourages the state to reopen, while maintaining that vulnerable people can be cocooned, even if the virus bounces around them. Is questioning.

“Attempting to protect the residents of nursing homes without controlling the spread of the area is a defeat,” said Konetsuka, a nationally recognized long-term care professional. “Someone has to take care of vulnerable nursing home residents, and their caregivers enter and leave the nursing home daily, providing an easy route for the virus to invade.”

According to the COVID Tracking Project, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities make up about 1% of the US population, but make up 40% of COVID-19 deaths.

At Fort Dodge, a manufacturing and transportation center in north-central Iowa, Julie Sawson said she was in a bad week when some employees at Friendship Haven’s nursing home tested positive last Monday. I said I knew. As President of the Senior Living Community, Lawson contacted the County Health Department. “They were basically not surprised because they were looking at it throughout the county,” she said.

Residents have also started a positive test. As of Friday, the facility had 11 new cases among residents.

“I didn’t know what was wrong or what I was doing all night, or I was thinking of getting ready, getting ready, getting ready and then hitting,” she said.

In response to the findings, the Federal Medicare Medicaid Service Center said, “In conclusion, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing homes is complex and multifactorial.”

The agency has focused on the various ways governments have been working to support nursing homes, and the current focus is on making resident and staff accessible to the vaccine “immediately” after approval. Said. However, the facility “has a major responsibility to protect the safety of its inhabitants,” he added.

“Often, a possible cause of nursing home outbreaks is simply that the nursing home does not comply with basic infection control rules,” the statement said.

However, Konetsuka said her study showed that the quality of nursing homes did not significantly affect cases and mortality, given the size of the community. Other academic experts have reached similar conclusions.

According to the Facebook page, St. Paul’s Elder Service in Kaukauna, Wisconsin has received high praise from Medicare, with 72 resident and 74 staff COVID-19 infections. The first incident of residents was on August 19, killing 15 people, said Sondra Norder, president of the facility.

“The results here aren’t much different from the results of the early pandemics in New York,” says Norder. “It’s called the perfect murder machine for the elderly, especially those who live in a collective environment.” Kaukauna is a small town about 100 miles north of Milwaukee.

The study, which is based on data reported to the government by nursing homes, also raised other concerns.

— In the week ending October 25, about one-sixth of surge-conditioned nursing homes did not report testing staff the previous week. Government requirements require staff testing at least weekly in areas where the virus is endemic.

— At the same time, one in five nursing homes reported a shortage of basic protective equipment such as masks and gowns.

— Nearly one in four facilities reported a shortage of nurses.

Most of the states surveyed are in the central and northern parts of the country.

Commons, a home for the elderly in Enid, Oklahoma, is a hotspot for the coronavirus. The positive proportion of oil and gas hubs is approaching 18%. Steven Walkingstick, CEO of The Commons, said the local Maskmandate was shot down twice.

“Unfortunately, from my point of view, I need a mission,” said Walking Stick. “I don’t want the government involved, but the evidence shows that we’re not going to do this voluntarily.”

Walkingstick said he believes the United States has improved by saving the lives of COVID-19 patients, but not keeping the virus away from nursing homes.

Mr. Sawson, head of the Fort Dodge facility, said it would take a lot of effort to stop the virus and it would be depressing to see the virus break through.

“Don’t forget about us because we’re still here and doing everything we can in the countryside,” she said.

The 20 states analyzed in this study were Alaska, Arkansaw, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and West. Virginia, and Wisconsin. They are currently selected for their highest hospitalization rate for COVID-19.