Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'That's What A Virus Wants': Deaths Mount At Nursing Homes Full Of Frail Patients Living Closely Together
The New York Times: Coronavirus Deaths At U.S. Nursing Homes Pass 3,800, With 45 At Virginia Facility
Even before a single resident tested positive for the coronavirus at a nursing home in Richmond, Va., staff members were worried. Triple rooms were not uncommon. Supplies were hard to come by. And there were not enough nurses for all the aging patients inside. All that made the home, the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, an ideal place for the virus to spread, which it quickly did, with catastrophic results. (Ivory, Bogel-Burroughs and Smith, 4/14)
PBS NewsHour: Why Nursing Homes And Senior Living Centers Yield COVID-19 ‘Perfect Storm’
More than 3,600 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are believed to be linked to nursing homes and assisted living centers. The number is only an estimate -- likely an undercount -- because the federal government has not released details of what is happening in these facilities. (Nawaz and Norris, 4/14)
Houston Chronicle: One-Fifth Of Coronavirus Deaths In Texas Linked To Nursing Homes
More than one in five coronavirus-related deaths in Texas have been linked to skilled nursing homes, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data, illustrating the vulnerability of older residents in group settings to the deadly virus. Data shows that 22 percent of deaths related to COVID-19 as of Monday were connected to nursing homes, while another 8 percent were linked to assisted-living facilities, which provide a less-intensive level of care. (Foxhall, 4/14)
Cincinnati Enquirer: A Third Of NKY COVID-19 Deaths Have Been Nursing Home Residents
At least a third of the Northern Kentucky residents killed by COVID-19 had been living in local nursing homes, according to data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Northern Kentucky Health Department. Seven local nursing home residents died from COVID-19 at Rosedale Green in Kenton County and Coldspring in Cold Spring, according to state data most recently updated on Sunday. As of Monday, 18 people in Northern Kentucky had died from COVID-19. Across the state, COVID-19 cases are overwhelming some nursing homes as local and state officials find ways to protect the vulnerable population. (Fair, 4/14)
Boston Globe: Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, State’s Nursing Home Workers Will Get Extra Pay
As the virus rips through the state, the jobs of nursing home staff have become newly hazardous. The virus has infected not only elderly residents but also workers, in one case killing a nurse. As workers go out sick or stay home due to fear, facilities have struggled to retain staff, especially the low-paid nursing aides who earn barely more than minimum wage. (Krantz, 4/14)
