A wintertime spike in nursing home resident deaths from COVID-19 has peaked although resident cases have held steady, according to the latest monthly report from the AARP’s COVID-19 dashboard. The news comes as COVID-19 vaccination rates among residents continue to creep up, the organization’s analysts report.
Resident COVID-19 cases and deaths steadily rose near the end of 2022, with deaths reaching their highest weekly rates in the first week of January. More than 1,300 residents died from COVID-19 in the four weeks preceding Jan. 22. This marked a 23% increase in rate when compared to the same time period in 2022 — the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths since the first omicron wave last winter, investigators noted.
Also in those four weeks leading to Jan. 22, there were more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases total among residents and staff for the second month in a row. But death rates have subsequently fallen in the two weeks since Jan. 22, by about one-third, AARP reported.
In the meantime, the percentage of residents who are up to date on their vaccinations has continued to climb, but very slowly. Since mid-October, the percentage of residents meeting that criteria rose by 11 points, to 51%. Staff vaccination rates, however, have declined by 3% during that time, with less than one-quarter of healthcare staff (22%) up to date on their shots.
More facts from the AARP’s analysis can be found on the organization’s website.
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