COVID-19 mortality tied to racial disparities in nursing homes, industry expert says
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 11, 2021
Nursing homes with a non-white resident population of more than 40% have more than three times the rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths than those with fewer non-white residents, says R. Tamara Konetzka,...
CDC evaluation of BinaxNOW shows mixed performance in asymptomatic cases
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 21, 2021
The antigen test kit sent to nursing homes nationwide last year has some major pluses, despite the potential for false negatives when compared with molecular tests, the agency reports.
FDA: Viral mutations unlikely to cause false negatives in COVID-19 tests
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 11, 2021
The agency has alerted healthcare providers that it is monitoring approved SARS-CoV-2 molecular tests to ensure that new viral mutations do not alter their accuracy.
CMS details 5 new scenarios that trigger infection control-focused surveys
By
Danielle Brown
Jan 06, 2021
Multiple weeks with new coronavirus cases or low staffing are among the additional scenarios that will trigger a focused infection control survey at a nursing home, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
FDA publishes face mask, respirator FAQs for healthcare providers
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 30, 2020
The new webpage includes links to detailed information on a variety of subjects, including how to report shortages of face masks, surgical masks and respirators.
U.S. labs predict COVID test delays, cite surge in demand
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
Long-term care facilities soon may face longer waits for PCR test results as diagnostic laboratories reach or exceed testing capacity, lab reps say. The warning comes as U.S. COVID cases spike upward.
Avoid ‘over-reliance’ on respirators, OSHA urges LTC operators in new guidance
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 05, 2020
The agency has issued new respiratory protection guidance for long-term care industry workers with the goal of preserving supplies of N95 face masks.
Nursing home operators would improve quality of life, infection control by reexamining architectural...
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 05, 2020
Nursing home operators have an urgent need to reexamine their facility design models to better protect residents after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed flaws in current models, researchers argued in a new...
Expect false positives: FDA letter to providers explains COVID antigen test results
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 05, 2020
The agency clarifies that rapid antigen tests, “like all diagnostic tests,” are subject to false positive results, especially in low prevalence settings. It offers recommendations for administering...
CMS test protocol misses too many asymptomatic workers: statewide COVID study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 04, 2020
If the goal is to identify all asymptomatic nursing home staff, comprehensive repeat testing may be needed regardless of COVID positivity rates in the community, investigators told McKnight’s.