Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hard-To-Obtain Information From Nursing Homes Frustrates Families In Massachusetts Where Infections Soar
As the number of COVID-19 cases in long-term-care facilities soars, families are growing increasingly frustrated with state officials, saying they have allowed the sites to hide crucial information about how deeply the virus has infiltrated and how their loved ones are doing. On Thursday, Massachusetts reported 1,633 cases among staff and residents of long-term care facilities, an increase of 32 percent from Wednesday, with some 159 sites reporting at least one case. (Krantz, Murphy and Weisman, 4/9)
Still, two months later as outbreaks infect hundreds and kill dozens at Bay Area nursing homes, many senior living centers remain dangerously unprepared and poorly equipped. Many facilities are also leaving families and the public in the dark about the severity of the threat — and so are several Bay Area counties, which either didn’t respond to requests for data about the outbreaks or declined to share the information with The Chronicle. (Fagone, Dizikes and Thadani, 4/9)
Nearly two-thirds of nursing homes in Massachusetts were cited at least once within the past three years for a deficiency in infection control, violations that ranged from staff not following basic hygiene measures to failing to track and monitor outbreaks, according to records from the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Even weeks into the coronavirus outbreak, nursing homes across the nation have been failing to follow rudimentary infection-control rules in startling numbers. (Rocheleau and Weisman, 4/9)
The Pennsylvania nursing home where all 750 residents and staffers may be infected with the coronavirus was hit last year with a "below average grade" by state inspectors who warned that lax sanitary conditions could lead to the "spread of infection and diseases," Medicare records revealed. The revelation came as five deaths were reported at the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. Operators of the facility, where more than 40 infections had already been tallied, said Monday they were no longer counting cases "and presuming all staff and residents may be positive." (Siemaszko, 4/9)
The novel coronavirus is in some Hamilton County nursing homes. But Hamilton County Public Health won't say where. There are 40 long-term care patients in Hamilton County who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to statistics from the health department obtained by The Enquirer. The health department wouldn't disclose if any of them died. (Wartman, 4/9)
