COVID-19 Infection Rates Decrease in SNFs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published good news for nursing homes. Skilled Nursing News reports, recent data shows a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases among staff and residents in nursing homes. The decline has been a steady pattern for the past few weeks.

The lowest number of COVID-19 cases were reported in the first week of October since the beginning of August. The number of positive infections increased in July which was possibly attributed to the delta variant. However, since mid-September the number of infections has been decreasing again. In early October, 3,542 positive cases among residents were reported compared to 5,354 in mid-September.

COVID-19 related resident deaths have also decreased since September from 646 to 514 as of early October. Nursing home employee numbers testing as COVID-19 positive have decreased, while death rates remain unsteady. In late August, about 7,450 staff tested positive. In the beginning of October that number decreased to 4,057.

There has been an increase in the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine for both residents and staff since the Biden Administration announced the vaccine mandate in mid-August. In early August, about 82.4% of residents and 60% of staff were vaccinated. In October, 84.6% of residents and 67.1% of staff were reported as vaccinated.

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