Rising case numbers are also once again threatening to bring the virus into nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that have been linked to more than one-third of Covid-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. While nursing home deaths have slowed, data from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, an industry group, shows cases rising once again. In nursing homes, 7,563 new cases were reported in the third week of October alone.
Here’s one look at where nursing homes are struggling most:
According to HHS data, 1 in 4 nursing homes reported personal protective equipment shortages at the beginning of October, leaving them with less than one week’s PPE supply. And 29 percent reported staff shortages of nurses and aides who care for residents.
In the current hardest-hit states, even hospitals, generally first in line for Covid-19 supplies, are experiencing alarming shortages. According to a White House report obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, more than 20 percent of North Dakota’s hospitals had less than a week’s supply of N95 masks on hand in mid-October, with some reporting a less than three-day supply.
