COVID-19 Has Claimed the Lives of 100,000 Long-Term Care Residents and Staff

COVID-19 Has Claimed the Lives of 100,000 Long-Term Care Residents and Staff More than 100,000 residents and staff have died in long-term care facilities since the start of the pandemic. This post discusses the implications of the likely rise in cases due to holiday gatheri… kffpriyac KFF

This week marks a bleak milestone in the pandemic’s effect on residents and staff in long-term care facilities across the country. According to our latest analysis of state-reported data, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 long-term care facility residents and staff as of the last week in November.

This finding comes at a time when public health experts are predicting a surge in cases after holiday gatherings and increased time indoors due to winter weather, which will have ripple effects on hospitals and nursing homes, given the close relationship between community spread and cases in congregate care settings. As the nation braces for the fallout of the holiday, recent data on deaths in long-term care facilities highlight the ongoing disproportionate impact on this high-risk population. ...

Nationwide, deaths in long-term care facilities account for 40% of all COVID-19 deaths.  In 18 states, COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities account for at least half of all deaths due to the pandemic (NH, RI, CT, MN, KY, PA, MA, NE, ME, ND, OH, DE, WA, OR, IN, VT, MD, NC). In three states, long-term care COVID-19 deaths account for over 70% of COVID-19 deaths in the state (NH, RI, and CT). Many states have consistently reported a high burden of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities, with Minnesota, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire consistently reporting among the highest shares of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities. See Data Notes below for more details on the share of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities. ...

While early action to prevent the spread of coronavirus in long-term care facilities led to strict protocols related to testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and visitor restrictions, several of these measures have been reversed in recent months, and some long-term care facilities continue to report shortages of PPE and staff.

The disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities serves as a reminder that residents and staff in these places continue to bear a high burden of the uncontrolled pandemic. Post-Thanksgiving surges in cases are unlikely to spare this community and will likely lead to an even higher death toll in long-term care facilities, raising questions about whether nursing homes and other facilities are able to protect their residents and, if not, what actions can be taken to mitigate the threat posed by the virus. ...