The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reports that since December 2020, the US has fully vaccinated over 1.4 million residents in long-term care facilities (LTCF) and over 1 million LTCF staff. Since then, the weekly deaths in nursing homes have continued to fall, much of which has been attributed to the high rates of vaccination among nursing home residents.
The KFF reviewed data of state-reported LTCF figures from 41 states plus Washington DC to assess what has happened regarding new deaths and cases in LTCFs in the four months since vaccinations began on December 21, 2020. Data that was analyzed was as of the week of April 11, 2021. Some of the key findings include:
- Of the 39 states (38 states plus DC) for which we can trend COVID-19 deaths in LTCFs, 21 states reported an all-time low death rate in April 2021.
- Since vaccinations began in mid-December 2020, the number of COVID-19 deaths in LTCFs across all states in this analysis has declined by 89% as of April 2021, from 1.7 deaths per 100,000 state residents to 0.2 deaths per 100,000 state residents.
- Both nationally and in most states, the share of deaths attributed to LTCFs has dropped since the start of vaccinations in December 2020 , indicating a faster decline in death rates in LTCFs than in the surrounding communities.
- Similar to LTCF deaths, average new weekly cases in LTCFs hit an all-time low in April 2021, with two states (Kansas and Mississippi) reporting zero new LTCF cases per 100,000 state residents that month.
- New cases in LTCFs dropped by 92% between December 2020 and April 2021, a pattern that is reflected in state-level data,
- Reflecting a potentially troubling trend of increasing community spread, eight states reported increases in LTCF cases from March to April 2021.
The KFF analysis reports that the increasing community spread ranged from a 6% increase in New Hampshire to over 150% in Connecticut and Michigan. The other states that showed an increase from March to April 2021 were Idaho (9%), Louisiana (31%), New Jersey (36%), Ohio (78%), and Alabama (81%).
The KFF notes that these increases may be a result of increased cases in the state overall, which has been attributed to rising infections among younger people due to “pandemic fatigue” and the rise of the B 1.1.7 variant. Also, research suggests a strong connection between increased cases in the community and increased cases in LTCFs. None of the states reported both an increase in LTCF cases and deaths between March and April 2021; therefore, it remains to be seen whether these increased LTCF cases will lead to increased LTCF deaths.
The KFF full report can be accessed at: https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/covid-19-long-term-care-deaths-and-cases-are-at-an-all-time-low-though-a-rise-in-ltc-cases-in-a-few-states-may-be-cause-for-concern/.
Issue:
Even though the COVID-19 vaccinations have shown promising results, now is not the time to lessen awareness of a facility’s Infection Control Plan. It is as vital as ever that each facility continue to follow their Infection Control Plan to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. So much uncertainty continues to prevail within the pandemic that it continues to be essential for facilities to follow robust infection control techniques.
Discussion Points:
- Review your Infection Control Plan and your policy and procedure on the COVID-19 vaccination. Ensure that both include the most up-to-date information from the CDC.
- Train all staff on your Infection Control Plan and your COVID-19 policies for vaccination and prevention of the spread of the virus. Place training documentation in each employee’s education file.
- Periodically audit to ensure that all staff are following your Infection Control Plan, and that staff are aware of the benefits and risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccination. Audit vaccine consent and administration rates and provide additional education where needed.
