COVID death rates are way down. Now comes the hard part
Answering pleas to open up facility visitation policies is going to be trickier than many realize.
CDC
Coronavirus reinfections in Kentucky nursing home worse second time around, officials say
Five residents of a skilled nursing facility tested positive twice for SARS-CoV-2 in separate outbreaks three months apart, before vaccines were available. The disease course was more severe in the second illness, and one resident died.
‘Balance has tipped’: It’s time to ease up on visitation regulations, nursing homes tell feds
Long-term care providers are calling on the federal government to remove regulations that base nursing home indoor visitations on COVID-19 positivity rates in the area now that vaccine coverage is widespread for facilities.
CDC: No strong relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and death among LTC residents
Long-term care providers should be encouraged after new findings showed no strong correlation between COVID-19 and death among residents, authorities say.
Pulse oximeters may be inaccurate in patients with darker skin, CDC cautions
Uncertainty about device efficacy highlights the importance of assessing symptoms beyond blood oxygen levels when treating COVID-19 patients, the agency says.
To quarantine or not? CDC’s post-vaccine guidance for exposed workers gives nod to staff shortages
Fully vaccinated individuals may now skip quarantine after exposure to an infected person. But that doesn’t go for healthcare workers in facility settings — except as a last option.
CDC: Vaccine hesitancy falls in priority groups, but only half of adults under 65 willing
The most recent agency data show an increase in the number of willing vaccine recipients among groups prioritized for vaccination. Messages from clinicians could further boost confidence, investigators say.
Federal watchdog stresses need for retroactive COVID-19 death and case data from nursing homes
Federal health agencies are being pressured again to retroactively collect data on COVID-19 deaths and cases from nursing homes to improve the government’s response to the pandemic.
CDC: COVID vaccines can be interchanged and doses delayed in supply crunch
The agency has suggested exceptions to its official vaccine rules for cases when supply shortages interrupt second doses.
Nearly 200,000 in nursing homes already have received two doses of COVID vaccine
Close to 90% of all U.S. nursing homes have completed their first coronavirus vaccine clinic, according to new federal data, and the number of people that also have received their booster shot is rising steadily.
