BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 has disproportionately affected nursing homes (NH). In Ireland, the first NH case COVID-19 occurred on 16 March 2020. A national point-prevalence testing programme of all NH residents and staff took place (18 April 2020 to 5 May 2020). AIMS: to examine characteristics of NHs across three Irish Community Health Organisations, proportions with COVID-19 outbreaks, staff and resident infection rates symptom profile and resident case fatality. METHODS: in total, 45 NHs surveyed, requesting details on occupancy, size, COVID-19 outbreak, outbreak timing, total symptomatic/asymptomatic cases and outcomes for residents from 29 February 2020 to 22 May 2020. RESULTS: surveys were returned from 62.2% (28/45) of NHs (2,043 residents, 2,303 beds). Three-quarters (21/28) had COVID-19 outbreaks (1,741 residents, 1,972 beds). Median time from first COVID-19 case in Ireland to first case in these NHs was 27.0 days. Resident incidence was 43.9% (764/1,741)-40.8% (710/1,741) laboratory confirmed, with 27.2% (193/710) asymptomatic and 3.1% (54/1,741) clinically suspected. Resident case fatality was 27.6% (211/764) for combined laboratory-confirmed/clinically suspected COVID-19. Similar proportions of residents in NHs with 'early-stage' (<28 days) versus 'later-stage' outbreaks developed COVID-19. Lower proportions of residents in 'early' outbreak NHs had recovered compared with those with 'late' outbreaks (37.4 versus 61.7%; χ2 = 56.9, P < 0.001). Of 395 NH staff across 12 sites with confirmed COVID-19, 24.7% (99/398) were asymptomatic. There was a significant correlation between the proportion of staff with symptomatic COVID-19 and resident numbers with confirmed/suspected COVID-19 (Spearman's rho = 0.81, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: this study demonstrates the significant impact of COVID-19 on the NH sector. Systematic point-prevalence testing is necessary to reduce risk of transmission from asymptomatic carriers and manage outbreaks in this setting.
BACKGROUND:SARS-CoV-2 has disproportionately affected nursing homes (NH). In Ireland, the first NH case COVID-19 occurred on 16 March 2020. A national point-prevalence testing programme of all NH residents and staff took place (18 April 2020 to 5 May 2020). AIMS: to examine characteristics of NHs across three Irish Community Health Organisations, proportions with COVID-19 outbreaks, staff and resident infection rates symptom profile and resident case fatality. METHODS: in total, 45 NHs surveyed, requesting details on occupancy, size, COVID-19 outbreak, outbreak timing, total symptomatic/asymptomatic cases and outcomes for residents from 29 February 2020 to 22 May 2020. RESULTS: surveys were returned from 62.2% (28/45) of NHs (2,043 residents, 2,303 beds). Three-quarters (21/28) had COVID-19 outbreaks (1,741 residents, 1,972 beds). Median time from first COVID-19 case in Ireland to first case in these NHs was 27.0 days. Resident incidence was 43.9% (764/1,741)-40.8% (710/1,741) laboratory confirmed, with 27.2% (193/710) asymptomatic and 3.1% (54/1,741) clinically suspected. Resident case fatality was 27.6% (211/764) for combined laboratory-confirmed/clinically suspected COVID-19. Similar proportions of residents in NHs with 'early-stage' (<28 days) versus 'later-stage' outbreaks developed COVID-19. Lower proportions of residents in 'early' outbreak NHs had recovered compared with those with 'late' outbreaks (37.4 versus 61.7%; χ2 = 56.9, P < 0.001). Of 395 NH staff across 12 sites with confirmed COVID-19, 24.7% (99/398) were asymptomatic. There was a significant correlation between the proportion of staff with symptomatic COVID-19 and resident numbers with confirmed/suspected COVID-19 (Spearman's rho = 0.81, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: this study demonstrates the significant impact of COVID-19 on the NH sector. Systematic point-prevalence testing is necessary to reduce risk of transmission from asymptomatic carriers and manage outbreaks in this setting.
Authors: Alicia Rosello; Rosanna C Barnard; David R M Smith; Stephanie Evans; Fiona Grimm; Nicholas G Davies; Sarah R Deeny; Gwenan M Knight; W John Edmunds Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2022-04-01 Impact factor: 3.090
Authors: Marjolein E A Verbiest; Annerieke Stoop; Aukelien Scheffelaar; Meriam M Janssen; Leonieke C van Boekel; Katrien G Luijkx Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2022-07-15 Impact factor: 2.908
Authors: Nicholas C Grassly; Margarita Pons-Salort; Edward P K Parker; Peter J White; Neil M Ferguson Journal: Lancet Infect Dis Date: 2020-08-18 Impact factor: 25.071
Authors: Anna Jeffery-Smith; Kate Dun-Campbell; Roshni Janarthanan; Jonathan Fok; Emma Crawley-Boevey; Amoolya Vusirikala; Elena Fernandez Ruiz De Olano; Marina Sanchez Perez; Suzanne Tang; Thomas Aj Rowland; Edward Wynne-Evans; Anita Bell; Bharat Patel; Zahin Amin-Chowdhury; Felicity Aiano; Karthik Paranthaman; Thomas Ma; Maria Saavedra-Campos; Joanna Ellis; Angie Lackenby; Heather Whitaker; Richard Myers; Katja Höschler; Kevin Brown; Mary E Ramsay; Nandini Shetty; J Yimmy Chow; Shamez Ladhani; Maria Zambon Journal: Lancet Reg Health Eur Date: 2021-01-22
Authors: Jennifer Kirsty Burton; Megan McMinn; James E Vaughan; Jacques Fleuriot; Bruce Guthrie Journal: Age Ageing Date: 2021-09-11 Impact factor: 10.668
Authors: Adam H Dyer; Claire Noonan; Matt McElheron; Isabella Batten; Conor Reddy; Emma Connolly; Rachel Pierpoint; Caroline Murray; Ann Leonard; Catriona Higgins; Phyllis Reilly; Gerard Boran; Thomas Phelan; William McCormack; Desmond O'Neill; Aoife Fallon; Gareth Brady; Cliona O'Farrelly; Nollaig M Bourke; Sean P Kennelly Journal: J Am Med Dir Assoc Date: 2022-01-11 Impact factor: 7.802
Authors: Mary McCarron; Darren McCausland; Retha Luus; Andrew Allen; Fintan Sheerin; Eilish Burke; Eimear McGlinchy; Fidelma Flannery; Philip McCallion Journal: HRB Open Res Date: 2021-12-13