High incidence of COVID-19 at nursing homes in Madrid, Spain, despite preventive measures

Abstract

Objective. To assess the impact of COVID-19 at nine nursing homes in Madrid, Spain, during the first wave of COVID-19 infection and lockdown period when preventive measures were taken to avoid transmission among residents. Methods. Nine hundred forty-two residents and 846 staff members from nine nursing homes participated in the study (April 18 to June 20, 2020). All participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharynx by PCR and for IgG antibodies detection. Microbiological status at sampling was defined as active infection (positive PCR ± presence of antibodies), past infection (negative PCR + presence of antibodies), or naïve participants (negative PCR + absence of antibodies). Results. Laboratory results helped classify the residents as having active infection (n=224; 23.8%), past infection (n=462; 49.1%), or being naïve (n=256; 27.1%); staff members were actively infected (n=127; 15.1%), had had a past infection (n=290; 34.2%), or were naïve (n=429; 50.7%). Overall, the percentage of participants with COVID-19 was significantly higher in residents than in staff members (72.8% vs 49.2%; P=0.001). The clinical situation of residents vs staff at sampling was as follows: acute manifestations compatible with COVID-19 (7.3% vs 3.9%; P<0.01) and no manifestations of infection (92.7% vs 96.0%; P<0.01). A large proportion of both asymptomatic and symptomatic residents (69.4% vs 86.6%; P=0.015) had positive PCR results (mostly alongside positive IgG determinations). Conclusions. COVID-19 affects 75% of the residents in nursing homes in Madrid. The high impact in these settings, despite the strict restrictions adopted during the lockdown, demonstrates the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to cause outbreaks.

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Evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in different high-risk facility types during a period of Delta variant dominance in the Republic of Korea: a cross-sectional study

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Residential Environment Assessment by Older Adults in Nursing Homes during COVID-19 Outbreak

“…The scientific literature reviewed has highlighted the high incidence of the disease and associated mortality in the older adult population in the early stages of the disease, with residents in nursing homes being the most highly affected [ 36 , 74 , 75 ], as has occurred in Spain [ 76 , 77 , 78 ]. This population group, due to its own socio-demographic conditions and age-associated chronic comorbidity and functioning, was the most vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and death [ 61 , 79 , 80 , 81 ], with women being the group most affected by mortality [ 82 ].…”