A Boston-based research team is emphasizing the need for universal testing at nursing homes after a new study found almost one-half of residents with COVID-19 were asymptomatic at the time of their diagnosis.
“Without universal testing, asymptomatic residents would go undiagnosed and may continue to spread the disease,” Sara D. Berry, M.D, MPH, et al. wrote.
“It is challenging to prevent spread of the virus in long-term care given the high prevalence of moderate to severe cognitive impairment,” they added.
The study, which was conducted at a long-term care facility in Boston, MA, found that nearly 40% of long-stay residents tested positive for the disease. Of that group of residents, 45.5% of them were asymptomatic.
“We found a slightly greater proportion of residents remained asymptomatic over three weeks: 15.0% were asymptomatic and an additional 8.8% experienced only transient anorexia,” investigators explained.
About 30% of residents who tested positive for COVID-19 died from the illness. The study also found that among symptomatic patients, a majority of them reported symptoms of anorexia and delirium as the disease progressed.
“Our results demonstrate that even in a frail long-term care population, the prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 is substantial,” the authors wrote.
The researchers concluded by “strongly recommending” universal testing among long-term care residents and staff members in areas where COVID-19 is most prevalent.
“Improved strategies to detect and mitigate spread of COVID-19 within long-term care facilities are urgently needed,” they said.
Full findings were published in the October issue of the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
