It is believed that lapses in medical care, supply chain shortages, a lack of transparency, and ever-changing information have fueled the spread of COVID-19 in our nursing homes. Hospitals and nursing homes were struggling immensely in the beginning stages of the spread in the U.S. Some nurses were buying and bringing their own medical supplies to work because of the initial nation-wide shortages. While no one could have anticipated how intensely the virus would ravage the nation, it is saddening knowing that some of the lives lost could have been saved. 

The coronavirus initially appeared in a nursing home in Washington state. Since nursing homes have had outbreaks of infections in the past, due to the nature of the facilities, we may not have taken it as seriously. However, once one resident had the virus, it rapidly spread throughout the living facility. And so on throughout the country, starting little fires everywhere. With so many “fires” coming about in the nation in sequence, it overwhelmed our health care system in late March and early April during the peak. 

The coronavirus is too difficult to contain which is why most states across the country have implemented stay-at-home orders. Now that we have more information about the virus, more specific actions can be taken depending on the region and its number of cases. These safety measures are possibly most important in regards to long-term living facilities or nursing homes. In response to the surge of cases in COVID-19, many facilities have moved or transferred remaining nursing home residents. However, these actions have proven too late in many cases. 

Virus Control Measures

The Coronavirus Task Force stated that there may be 10,000 nursing home deaths in total by June. They will continue to be a large percentage of the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States. Knowing that nursing home residents are high risk based on their ages and existing medical conditions, we can turn to test and virus control measures. We can’t beat the virus without a vaccine, but we can do our best to outsmart it when possible. 

Many states are now focusing their attention on performing testing in nursing homes. The CDC says, “Several states have allocated testing resources for nursing homes. Increased availability of testing in nursing homes has the potential to not only describe the scope and magnitude of outbreaks but also to help inform additional prevention and control efforts designed to further limit transmission among nursing home residents and HCP.” These safety protocols are important to keep residents and nursing home workers safe. 

The CDC recommends that nursing homes:

• Restrict visitors except for the end of life situations
• Implement universal mask-wearing
• Restrict all volunteers and non-essential healthcare personnel
• Halt communal dining and group activities
• Conduct screenings of residents and HCP for symptoms

Many nurses who were working in adult living facilities have now contracted the virus. Since COVID-19 has a 14-day window from exposure to the existence of symptoms, many nurses later showed symptoms of the virus. Nursing homes should have been given more priority while this virus was still in its early stages, however, we can only learn from the past and move forward. If we knew more detailed information earlier, we may have lost fewer grandmothers, grandfathers, and nurses.