Hundreds of COVID Deaths Still Occurring Each Week in U.S. Nursing Homes
On 6/1/21 at 3:15 PM EDT
Associated Press reported.
The data shows that the number of nursing home deaths related to COVID-19 is down from 10,675 in the first two weeks of January to 472 in the first two weeks of May. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that low rates of vaccination among health care workers in nursing homes raises the risk of outbreaks.
While the outbreaks are less common than earlier in the pandemic, they have disrupted plans for in-person meetings for the first time since the pandemic began over a year ago, leading to frustration from vaccinated family members and patients.
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The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meets today to review the data that have led, “out of an abundance of caution,” to a recommended pause in the use of J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. The focus is on six cases of what appears to be a very rare but severe type of blood clot, all occurring in women ages 18 to 48, with symptoms developing six to 13 days after vaccination. One woman died and another is hospitalized in critical condition.
Nearly 7 million doses of the single-dose J&J vaccine have been given in this country. The concern is a clot known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, occurring in combination with low blood platelets. Traditional treatments for clots, such as heparin, may actually be dangerous in this situation. The CDC and FDA are advising that anyone who has received the J&J vaccine and develops severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of being vaccinated should contact
In an effort to shield nursing homes from new COVID cases, state focuses on short-term residents
Yehyun Kim :: ctmirror.org
Residents at Beechwood, a nursing home in New London, have lunch together in a dining room while social distancing.
Four months ago, even as the coronavirus vaccine was making its way to Connecticut and the promise of protection drew close to reality, nursing homes were weathering another increase in COVID-19 cases.
Testing inside the facilities was accelerating, special recovery centers for COVID-positive residents were taking on more patients, and illnesses among employees meant that many buildings were short-staffed. In December, 70 to 80 nursing home residents were dying per week. By the end of that month, more than 100 fatalities were recorded some weeks.