WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nursing homes see spike in new COVID cases due to omicron surge in the general community.
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living released a report about nursing homes experiencing an alarming spike in COVID cases.
The data shows COVID cases in both staff and residents in nursing homes are rapidly increasing. The AHCA/NCAL says this trend mirrors the general U.S. population due to the highly contagious omicron variant.
“As soon as news of Omicron broke in December, we were very concerned this variant would lead to a surge of cases in the U.S. and therefore, an increase in cases in nursing homes and unfortunately it has,” stated Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of the AHCA/NCAL. “We urged members of the public to help us protect our nation’s seniors ahead of the holiday season, and we reiterate that plea today. Help support our frontline caregivers and safeguard our most vulnerable by getting vaccinated, boosted and masked.”
The report shows that COVID-related deaths have increased. However, the rate of death is 10 times less than in December 2020.
According to the AHCA/NCAL, prioritizing long-term care for testing, treatment, and workforce support will help assisted living communities during the omicron surge.
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