Duke professor: Nursing homes 'wells of infection'
CENTER, THERE ARE 22 RESIDENTS
AND TWO STAFFERS INFECTED.
>>> HALF OF THE NURSING HOMES
IN AMERICA HAD PROBLEMS
CONTAINING INFECTIONS BEFORE
COVID-19.
THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
OFFICE RELEASED A REPORT THIS
WEEK WHICH RUN 40% WERE
DEFICIENT IN INFECTION
PREVENTION AND CONTROL IN ONE
OR MORE YEARS IN 2013 TO 2017.
THE REPORT CALLS THIS AN
INDICATOR OF PERSISTENT
PROBLEMS.
THEY FOUND THAT STAFF DID NOT
REGULARLY WASH THEIR HANDS,
ISOLATE RESIDENTS, OR USE MASKS
OR PPE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
IN NORTH CAROLINA, 64 THE 407
NURSING HOMES SURVEYED FELL
UNDER THIS CATEGORY, WHICH IS
JUST UNDER 16%.
>>> THE DATA TRACKER SHOW THAT
THE CASES OF LONG-TERM
FACILITIES MAKE UP 18% OF ALL
LABORATORY CONFIRMED CASES AT
MORE THAN HALF OF THE TOTAL
DEATHS IN THE STATE.
DON TAYLOR IS AN WITH DUKE
UNIVERSITY AND HE JOINS US LOOK
TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THE FINDINGS
AND OTHER ISSUES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
IN HER MOST RECENT PUBLICATION,
HE SAID WE WILL NOT GET A
HANDLE ON THE PANDEMIC IN THE
STATE OR THE NATION UNTIL WE
CAN CONTROL IT IN THE NURSING
HOMES.
YOU CALL THEM WELLS OF
INFECTION.
CAN YOU SPEAK MORE ABOUT THIS
AND WHAT YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE
DONE TO MAKE THEM SAFER.
>> YES.
THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES APACE IN
NURSING HOMES.
LESS THAN 1% OF THE POPULATION
LIVES THERE, AS YOU SAID, 20%
OF THE CASES ARE OCCURRING IN
NURSING HOMES AND MORE IF HALF
THE DEATHS.
THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT THE RISK
OF NURSING HOMES ARE THAT YOU
HAVE WORKERS WHO ARE THERE AT
RISK OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
TO BRING INFECTION WITH COVID-
19 INTO THE NURSING HOME AS
WELL TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE
NURSING HOME AS WELL AS
PATIENTS ARE TRANSFERRED FROM
HOSPITALS FOR SHORT-TERM NURSING
OR REHAB STAYS WHO ARE STILL
THE FACILITY WITH LONG STAY
PATIENTS.
I THINK THAT THE UNITED STATES
IS NOT DOING ENOUGH.
WE DO NOT HAVE A FEDERAL
TESTING POLICY.
THEY HAVE EXCESS CAPACITY BUT
IN SOME PLACES THE LABS ARE
WORRIED ABOUT GETTING PAID.
FIRST WE NEED THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO GUARANTEE MONEY
FOR TESTING.
THAT NEEDS TO THEN BE PASSED
DOWN TO STATES LIKE NORTH
CAROLINA TWO OVERNIGHT GUYS --
OVERNIGHT TESTING GUIDELINES.
THEN THE NEED TO BE
PARTNERSHIPS WITH UNIVERSITIES
TO WORK WITH NURSING HOMES TO
IMPLEMENT TESTING PROGRAMS BUT
ALSO TO COLLECT EVIDENCE TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.
WHAT TYPES OF TESTS, HOW OFTEN
THE TEST SHOULD BE DONE, ALL OF
THESE THINGS ARE QUESTIONS THAT
WE NEED TO KNOW THE ANSWERS TO,
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED A
COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL STRATEGY
AND FEDERAL MONEY WITH STATE
ABILITY TO DECIDE EXACTLY HOW
TO IMPLEMENT IT.
>> THIS IS PERSONAL FOR YOU.
HOW DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE CHANGE
YOUR VIEW ON WHAT IS HAPPENING
WITH THE NURSING HOMES?
>> I'VE HAD A LOT OF
EXPERIENCE.
MY MOM LIVES IN A CARE FACILITY
IN CARY AND THE UNSUNG HEROES
OF THE PANDEMIC ARE PEOPLE THAT
, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH OLDER
CITIZENS.
THESE ARE WOMEN, ALMOST ALWAYS.
OFTEN IMMIGRANTS, MOST OF THEM.
MOST OF THEM ARE BLACK OR
BROWN.
MANY OF THEM ARE CONSIDERED
ESSENTIAL, WHICH THEY ARE, BUT
THEY ARE UNDERPAID.
WHEN I HAVE COME TO REALIZE IS
THOSE WOMEN WHO SHOW UP EVERY
SINGLE DAY, THEY ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING HOW
WELL MY MOTHER IS ABLE TO LIVE,
SO THIS IS AN AN IMPORTANT
ISSUE AND I THINK IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THE
WORKERS ARE AT RISK THEMSELVES
IN ADDITION TO BEING A RISK FOR
INFECTION.
WE DO NOT NEED TO BLAME THEM,
WE NEED TO SUPPORT THEM WITH
TESTING AND PPE AND PAID TIME
OFF.
>>> ONE MORE QUESTION, WHEN THE
PANDEMIC BECAME A REALITY, DID
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY EVER
CONSIDER REMOVING YOUR MOTHER
FROM THE FACILITY?
>> MY SISTER AND MY MOM HAD A
DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT. WHERE
THEY GOING TO TAKE MY MOM TO
LIVE WITH MY SISTER?
WE DECIDED NOT TO BECAUSE THE
PLACE SHE IS HAS CARED WELL FOR
HER AND I WAS IMPRESSED WITH
THEIR EARLY ADOPTION OF SOME
RULES TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE
PANDEMIC AND IN THE END, WE
FELT LIKE THAT WAS STILL THE
BEST PLACE FOR HER.
BUT, THE PROBLEM WITH ANYPLACE
THAT YOU HAVE CONGREGATED MANY
ELDERLY PEOPLE, WITH UNDERLYING
CONDITIONS, JUST LIKE DRY
KINDLING WAITING FOR A SPARK.
THE EPIDEMIC DID NOT CREATE THE
PROBLEMS IN THAT SYSTEM, JUST
HAS EXPOSED THEM AND LEAVE THEM
THERE.
>> WE WISH HER MOTHER AND
FAMILY THE BEST.