OREGON, USA — Positive COVID-19 cases and COVID-related deaths in U.S. nursing homes are dropping, and doctors credit the vaccine.
People living and working in nursing homes were some of the first in line for vaccinations.
Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), said prioritizing ongoing vaccination efforts in those facilities is critical. His organizations represent 14,000 long-term care facilities nationwide.
"It has been by far the most difficult year in the long-term care sector," Parkinson said.
During an online video news conference, Parkinson said 170,000 residents and a thousand caregivers have died from COVID-19.
U.S. nursing homes reported a peak of nearly 6,000 COVID-related deaths in a single week of December 2020. By February, that was down 63% to about 2,200 deaths in a week.
"Still way, way too many, but significantly better than what we experienced back in December," Parkinson described.
Experts point to one reason for the improving numbers.
"The vaccines are working," said Phil Fogg Jr., CEO of Marquis Companies in Oregon.
Marquis operates long-term care facilities and Consonus Pharmacy. It recently finished its final round of COVID vaccination clinics. Fogg said as a result of the vaccine, positive cases are down.
"And we know it because we're testing so frequently," Fogg said.
Nationally, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports new COVID-19 cases in nursing homes are down 82% since the December peak.
Most nursing homes and assisted living facilities are on their way to full vaccination. AHCA/NCAL said about 80% of residents are accepting the shot.
However, only about 40% of staff agreed to the vaccine after the first clinics, so AHCA/NCAL chief medical officer Dr. David Gifford said that presents a bigger COVID concern.
"It just creates more opportunities for new variants to arise," Gifford explained.
He said reopening nursing homes could be the incentive needed to get people on board with the vaccine.
"It's time to allow visitation, time for activities to occur," Gifford said.
"Everybody's aligned with trying to reunite residents with their families, reduce isolation," Fogg said back in February.
For most facilities, this idea depends on polices at the state and local levels, as well as on future phases of vaccinations maintaining momentum.
"And make sure the doses of vaccine are out there when they need them," Parkinson said.