Nearly 30,000 nursing home residents have died from the coronavirus, according to the latest data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.
The agency also reported Thursday that there were a total of 107,389 confirmed COVID-19 cases, in addition to more than 71,000 suspected cases, as of June 7 at facilities across the country.
By comparison, a Wall Street Journal analysis found that deaths in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities had topped 50,000, along with more than 250,000 cases among residents and staff members by Tuesday. It added that the number is likely actually higher due to reporting lags and collection differences among states.
The CMS-cited data was submitted by nursing homes through the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) system.
A thorough breakdown of the data, featuring maps and charts, as well as each individual facility’s statistics, can be found here.
The agency also released an FAQ regarding its data quality, collections methods and projections.
The leader of the largest nursing home association in the country said the data update confirms “what we have known for months.”
“COVID-19 disproportionately impacts seniors with chronic conditions and the dedicated staff who care for them. This also validates the call for assistance that nursing homes have been making since the beginning of this pandemic,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association.
“We understand that there may be some questions about the data and adjustments made due to obvious challenges with launching a new reporting system in the midst of a pandemic. Regardless, one life is one too many to lose, and we hope this data will show public health officials the urgent need to prioritize resources to protect long term care staff and residents,” he added.
“Whether it’s federal, state or local health agencies, long term care residents and staff need to be a priority for supplies and support. It’s time that America rally around our nation’s seniors and caregivers just as they did with hospitals.”
