Seniors are more likely to contract COVID-19 again — with only 47% protection against repeat infection, compared with 80% for younger people, according to a new, large-scale study from Denmark.
The need for stepped-up infection control measures likely will remain a necessity for the foreseeable future, say industry observers and stakeholders.
A disconnect between federal and state or local policies has a direct effect on POC antigen test use in these settings, according to a comprehensive report released Thursday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
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The antigen test kit sent to nursing homes nationwide last year has some major pluses, despite the potential for false negatives when compared with molecular tests, the agency reports.
The agency has alerted healthcare providers that it is monitoring approved SARS-CoV-2 molecular tests to ensure that new viral mutations do not alter their accuracy.
Long-term care facilities soon may face longer waits for PCR test results as diagnostic laboratories reach or exceed testing capacity, lab reps say. The warning comes as U.S. COVID cases spike upward.
Among 13,000 facilities that provided their testing speed to the government, only 17% reported an average turnaround time of less than a day; and fully 29% waited three days or more on average for residents’ test results.
The agency clarifies that rapid antigen tests, “like all diagnostic tests,” are subject to false positive results, especially in low prevalence settings. It offers recommendations for administering the tests and interpreting results.
If the goal is to identify all asymptomatic nursing home staff, comprehensive repeat testing may be needed regardless of COVID positivity rates in the community, investigators told McKnight’s.
