The Toughest Test For Handling COVID-19 For The US Is The Elderly In A Nursing Home

Photo illustration (Michael Wilson / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The United States is working to reduce the death rate of elderly patients who contracted COVID-19 in nursing homes. There are three main reasons why the spread of the new corona virus there is high. There are still things that can be done to reduce the death rate.

At least 16,000 residents of nursing homes in the US have died from COVID-19. That means, one in four total deaths from COVID-19 comes from these elderly shelters.

The state with the most deaths in nursing homes is Maryland. About half of the COVID-19 cases there come from nursing homes.

Additionally, the first cases of COVID-19 in the US came from a nursing home in Seattle where 37 residents and staff died. This is a tragedy that was almost unthinkable before.

The large number of COVID-19 victims in nursing homes is not surprising. The physical and mental endurance of the elderly are limited. In addition, the number of chronic disease sufferers is also a major factor in the high mortality rate in the elderly.

Meanwhile, the high level of interaction among the residents of the nursing home makes the disease contagious. For example, in one day the nurses have to help meet the daily needs of refugees, including feeding, bathing and defecating.

Many think nothing can be done to reduce transmission rates. Of course this assumption is wrong. There is still much that can be done.

Photo illustration (Michael Schaffler / Unsplash)

Break down the main problem

As quoted by the Huffington Post, the biggest problems in nursing homes include a lack of testing, not a lot of protective equipment, and a lack of workers. So, if the problem is overcome, the death rate can be reduced.

In the first problem, namely the question of testing is one of the most crucial things to stem COVID-19. Unfortunately, nursing homes are one of the places less tested for COVID-19.

This is because mass testing for COVID-19 is limited and only prioritizes people who experience symptoms of COVID-19. According to Morgan Katz, infectious disease expert from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, it's a big problem because people without symptoms (OTG) are unconsciously spreading the virus.

Katz is leading the Johns Hopkins University effort to identify and manage outbreaks in Maryland. They found that about half of the population infected with COVID-19 had no symptoms.

"It was absolutely astonishing. They spread the virus, and nobody knows," said Katz.

Then, the second biggest problem that causes the high spread of the virus in nursing homes is the lack of PPE. A nursing assistant for nursing homes in Florida, Pearl Gooden, said she only gets one surgical mask and one PPE robe a day.

"We went from room to room with the same PPE."

Then, finally, the way to reduce the spread of the virus in nursing homes is to have more workers. Even if mass testing and PPE had been upgraded, nursing homes would still be overwhelmed if there was a shortage of workers.

Researchers reveal that public facilities with fewer workers are more likely to be infected with COVID-19. The reason is, the best way to prevent the spread of the disease is discipline in implementing preventive procedures.

Meanwhile, staff working in a hurry have less time to practice the procedure. Several states in the US have started to address the problem. However, they can't do it all on their own. There needs to be federal intervention, especially regarding the budget.