COVID-19 in a Long-Term Care Facility — King County, Washington, February 27–March 9, 2020

Unprecedented solutions for extraordinary times: Helping long-term care settings deal with the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Limited availability of testing and inadequate supplies of PPE contributed to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in King's County, Washington. 3 The symptoms of COVID-19 overlap with other respiratory viruses, and as testing expands, we may find that coinfection is more common than previously thought. 9 Access to rapid testing for multiple respiratory viruses that can be achieved from a single nasopharyngeal swab would greatly enhance both optimal infection control and prevention efforts and guide supportive care and, for cases of influenza, treatment.…”

“…To date, LTC settings are the segment of the healthcare system with the most notable burden of COVID-19 cases. 3 What is more alarming is that the overall quality ratings of LTC settings with COVID-19 outbreaks in King's County, Washington, are least 3 of 5 stars. 4,5 Furthermore, the average daily hours for direct care of residents by licensed nursing staff at these sites is at or above the national average.…”

Asymptomatic and Presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Residents of a Long-Term Care Skilled Nursing Facility — King County, Washington, March 2020

“…Older adults are susceptible to severe coronavirus disease 2019 outcomes as a consequence of their age and, in some cases, underlying health conditions (1). A COVID-19 outbreak in a long-term care skilled nursing facility (SNF) in King County, Washington that was first identified on February 28, 2020, highlighted the potential for rapid spread among residents of these types of facilities (2). On March 1, a health care provider at a second long-term care skilled nursing facility (facility A) in King County, Washington, had a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, after working while symptomatic on February 26 and 28.…”

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Among Residents and Staff Members of an Independent and Assisted Living Community for Older Adults — Seattle, Washington, 2020

“…In the Seattle, Washington metropolitan area, where the first case of novel coronavirus 2019 disease in the United States was reported (1), a community-level outbreak is ongoing with evidence of rapid spread and high morbidity and mortality among older adults in long-term care skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) (2,3). However, COVID-19 morbidity among residents of senior independent and assisted living communities, in which residents do not live as closely together as do residents in SNFs and do not require skilled nursing services, has not been described.…”