CMS: Pandemic relief to nursing homes tied to infection control training, weekly testing
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 24, 2020
To qualify for CARES Act funds, eldercare facilities must take part in CMS’s online COVID-19 training program. The agency also expects to require weekly staff testing in certain cases.
Isolate for 10 days after positive COVID-19 test, health officials now say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 23, 2020
A new symptom-based strategy aims to end “unnecessary prolonged isolation” for people diagnosed with COVID-19 — and to help relieve pressure on overburdened diagnostic labs, says the CDC.
High local COVID-19 rates put nursing homes at risk, Genesis study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 21, 2020
Investigators tracked outbreaks in Genesis skilled nursing facilities across 25 states and alongside more than 3,000 other facility operators.
CDC to recommend against COVID-19 retesting
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 20, 2020
The action will reduce “medically unnecessary” work for overburdened diagnostic laboratories, according to the White House’s testing czar.
The COVID-19 mitigation strategies of social distancing, face coverings and handwashing not only will help to curb the spread of the coronavirus, they will help to lessen the severity of the upcoming flu...
CDC director talks to McKnight’s about flu season, COVID-19 mitigation and nursing home data
By
Liza Berger
Jul 17, 2020
Senior Editor Liza Berger spoke with Robert Redfield, M.D., about some of the most pressing issues in the eldercare industry.
Nursing facilities in ‘hot spots’ to receive first batch of COVID-19 test equipment
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 16, 2020
About 2,000 nursing homes in regions where COVID-19 case counts are high will be the first to receive on-site diagnostic testing equipment from the federal government.
Serial testing lowers COVID-19 case counts in nursing facilities, CDC finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 02, 2020
Symptom-based screening doesn’t effectively control COVID-19. Instead, repeated point prevalence surveys and robust infection prevention support lowered case counts in one city’s facilities.
Flu season may be ‘devastating,’ officials warn
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 01, 2020
“The real risk is that we’re going to have two circulating respiratory pathogens at the same time,” says CDC director Robert Redfield, M.D.
Standardize N95 respirators for all inpatient COVID-19 encounters, conclude analysts
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 01, 2020
N95 respirators should be required for all workers caring for COVID-19 inpatients, not only those performing aerosol-generating procedures, write the authors of a new data review.