Study: Routine COVID-19 testing for LTC residents reduced deaths

A study released earlier this week in the American Journal of Infection Control found that long-term care (LTC) facilities with lower COVID-19 transmission rates implemented a routine testing schedule for residents, while also separately housing residents who were at an increased risk for the disease. Residents who tested positive for COVID-19 were isolated for 10-14 days in the facilities with lower transmissions; nearly all of the facilities had a dedicated unit for COVID-19 patients. The qualitative study ─ based on semi-structured interviews ─ examined LTC facilities in 2020 with lower COVID-19 transmission rates compared with their regional counterparts in the 11 counties comprising the South Carolina Lowcountry region. The authors noted that their results could serve as guidance for other facilities.