Report on a COVID-19 outbreak within a residential care home in Washington: implications for public health practice (CDC, US)

Report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (US) on the consequences of the introduction of COVID-19 into a long-term residential care facility in Washington, which resulted in cases among 81 residents, 34 staff members, and 14 visitors; 23 persons died.

The report highlights limitations in effective infection control and prevention. Staff working in multiple facilities was identified as one of the factors that contributed to intra- and interfacility spread.

The report suggests the following measures:

  • Identifying and excluding potentially infected staff members
  • Restricting visitors except in compassionate situations
  • Ensuring early recognition of potentially infected residents
  • Implementation of appropriate infection control measures

Full report: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6912e1.htm

The evidence has now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2005412

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