Covid-19 in nursing homes- fatalities seem high

[bhobba]

Here in Aus the second wave in Victoria is hitting Nursing Homes hard:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-31/aged-care-the-lessons-for-victoria-from-newmarch/12505710

It is being suggested the two main vaccines we have here in Aus, one of which has completed stage one trials (Flinders University vaccine), and the other (the UQ vaccine) soon well. The one that has completed stage one was shown totally safe with less or no side effects (eg sore arm, slight nausea etc) than other vaccines that has passed stage 1. The situation in Victoria is considered so bad in nursing homes it has been suggested as part of stage 2 trials to deploy the vaccine. It has some risk - the limited number used in phase 1 trials (120 I believe) does not show it 100% safe for all people, but is less of a risk than the bad death rate in such places. Do we have the leadership with the necessary courage and 'true grit'.

Thanks
Bill

 

[Vanadium 50]

The governor of Michigan just vetoed a bill banning sending Covid infected patients to nursing homes: " To ban transferring patients in a medical care facility who test positive for COVID-19 to nursing homes. State regulators would be required to create a “centralized intake facility” in each of the state’s eight “health care regions” to treat Coronavirus patients who are “ineligible for admission at a hospital”

Presently the policy is to send Covid patients to nursing homes, and this is incentivized to the tune of $5000 a head. However, it is also routinely ignored by some nursing homes - Michigan has a remarkably bimodal distribution: some have turned themselves into little fortresses and have zero cases, and others have records closer to New Jersey's. It is unclear whether the state will continue to look the other way at the "successful fortresses" or whether they will try and make them follow state policy.

The legislature is one vote short of a veto override.

 

[Astronuc]

60% of the Massachusetts fatalities are in nursing homes. Extrapolating from CFR's, that means 95 +/- 10% of the residents have been infected.

One case has resulted in criminal charges. Criminal Indictments Brought In Holyoke Soldiers' Home COVID-19 Deaths, https://www.wamc.org/post/criminal-indictments-brought-holyoke-soldiers-home-covid-19-deaths

In Illinois, Authorities Investigate Outbreak At Veterans' Home That Killed 27, https://www.wamc.org/post/illinois-authorities-investigate-outbreak-veterans-home-killed-27

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities are certainly problematic, but especially with the current pandemic, as most residents have one or more comorbidities. And beyond the elderly, those with disabilities are particularly vulnerable.

December 21, 2020 - Oregon Hospitals Didn't Have Shortages. So Why Were Disabled People Denied Care?


Concerns were raised back in March, when Washington and New York states started seeing a rise in COVID-19 patients. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/us/coronavirus-covid-triage-rationing-ventilators.html

In Louisiana, and apparently in New York City, some poor with COVID-19 were denied treatment and instead sent home, where they died.
https://www.propublica.org/article/sent-home-to-die
https://www.propublica.org/article/...na-legislators-are-demanding-an-investigation