Pandemic Invades Nursing Homes, Again
The coronavirus is surging in nursing homes once again, despite President Donald Trump’s promise to keep vulnerable residents of care facilities safe while encouraging most people to work, play, shop and attend school normally.
Covid-19 cases in nursing homes saw a more than 40 percent increase from mid-September to Oct. 25 after seven weeks of steady decline, according to the most recent data. Nursing home operators and experts on long-term care say it’s basically impossible to keep the coronavirus from seeping in as cases spike in communities across the country.
The administration has improved testing and staff screenings at nursing homes since last spring, yet workers will inevitably bring the virus in with them. But Trump has repeatedly downplayed the virus while sidelining federal health officials, such as the nation’s top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, as cases surge across the country.
“As cases in the community increase, this highly contagious virus finds its way into our buildings,” said Mark Parkinson, the head of the major nursing home lobby, the American Health Care Association.
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