World COVID-19 Deaths in LTC Facilities Surpass 100,000 analysis

9 min readNov 26, 2020

With coronavirus cases surging across the country, a new KFF analysis finds the number of COVID-19 deaths among residents and staff in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities now exceeds 100,000. The U.S. surpassed the deadly milestone as of November 24, when the cumulative number of long-term care facility COVID-19 deaths reached 100,033, based on reports from 49 states and Washington D.C.

The death toll is rising at a time when experts fear that daily coronavirus case counts will climb to new heights as families gather over the holidays and Americans spend more time indoors due to winter weather.

Nationwide, deaths in long-term care facilities account for 40 percent of all COVID-19 deaths, a share that has been largely consistent over time. In 18 states, data indicate that half or more COVID-19 deaths in the state have occurred in long-term care facilities. In April, about a month into the pandemic, the number of deaths from COVID-19 among residents and staff of long-term care facilities stood at 16,556, based on data from 30 states.

While early action to prevent the spread of coronavirus in long-term care facilities led to stricter protocols related to testing, personal protective equipment (PPE) and visitor restrictions, some of these measures have been reversed in recent months, and some long-term care facilities continue to report shortages of PPE and staff.

The disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities serves as a reminder that residents and staff in these places continue to bear a high burden of the uncontrolled pandemic. And it raises questions about whether nursing homes and other facilities are able to protect their residents and, if not, what actions can to be taken to mitigate the threat posed by the virus.

View the report here.

As Covid cases once again rise in Pakistan, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that he is self-isolating after testing positive for the virus.

He also informed organisers of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally to be held in Multan that instead of appearing in person, he would give his speech via video link.

The rally coincides with the PPP foundation day on November 30.

Apart from his absence from the crucial Multan rally, Bilawal will also be missing the engagement of his sister, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, to a Dubai-based businessman which will take place over the weekend.

Bilawal tweeted that he was currently experiencing mild symptoms. “I’ll continue working from home and will be addressing PPP foundation day via video link. Wear a mask everyone, see you on the other side.”

A second and deadlier wave of the coronavirus has shown an increased rise in cases in Pakistan.

Pakistan reported 3,306 infections on Thursday, a day after it confirmed more than 3,000 daily infections for the first time since July.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had criticised the PDM for holding rallies at a time when the second wave of the pandemic hit Pakistan.

Last week, the Pakistan PM warned that his government would be compelled to enforce complete lockdown if the opposition did not desist from holding public gatherings at a time when the country was reeling under the impact of Covid-19.

Khan tweeted that the 11-party PDM would be responsible for the consequences if it continued with its rallies.

“In (Pakistan), the PDM by continuing with jalsas (public gatherings) is deliberately endangering lives and livelihoods (because) if cases continue to rise at the rate we are seeing, we will be compelled to go into complete lockdown & PDM will be responsible for consequences,” Khan said in a tweet.

Air strikes likely carried out by Israel killed at least 19 pro-Iran militia fighters in war-torn eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday.

The early morning strikes hit positions of Iran-backed militias outside the town of Albu Kamal in Deir Ezzor province, killing mostly foreign fighters, the Observatory said.

Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes but the Observatory has accused it of launching two other aerial attacks against pro-Iran forces in Syria since Saturday.

More than 20 million people across large swathes of England will be forced to live under the toughest category of Covid-19 restrictions when a national lockdown ends on Dec. 2, while London was placed in the “high alert” second-toughest tier.

Health minister Matt Hancock on Thursday announced final details of a regional system set to take effect when blanket restrictions on England’s 55 million population end after a month-long lockdown — dictating the terms of daily life for the country’s citizens and businesses.

“Hope is on the horizon but we still have further to go so we must all dig deep. The end is in sight, we mustn’t give up now,” Hancock told parliament, alluding to growing prospects for a vaccine against the coronavirus in the coming months.

Britain has Europe’s highest official death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic and has been hit hard by a second wave. The government’s response on lockdown rules, procurement and testing has been criticised as disjointed, expensive and slow.

“We must follow these new rules and make sure that our actions today will save lives in future and help get our country through this,” Hancock said.

Thursday’s decision had been keenly awaited by businesses across the country whose ability to trade in the critical pre-Christmas period will be affected. Hospitality is one of the large sectors that will suffer the most in higher tiers.

Hancock said cases were rising in parts of the capital and needed to be brought under control.

London will be in tier 2; it was also in tier 2 before the national lockdown was imposed, although a tighter set of rules for each tier was announced earlier this week.

For London, this means no mixing of households indoors and a maximum of six people permitted to meet outdoors, hospitality venues can only offer alcohol alongside a substantial meal, and attendance will be tightly limited at sporting events.

PRE-CHRISTMAS ‘SIGH OF RELIEF’

“Many businesses across London and the Square Mile will be breathing a collective sigh of relief now that they will be able to trade in the run up to Christmas,” said City of London Corporation Policy Chairwoman Catherine McGuinness.

However some large regions of England, including the northern city of Manchester and the prosperous southeastern county of Kent, were placed in tier 3, the most restrictive, where the rate of infection is highest.

In tier 3, hospitality venues must remain closed, except for takeaway services.

“This will cause real hardship for people whose jobs will be affected and risk the loss of many businesses,” Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said.

The decisions have been made according to five criteria, including the pressure on health services in each region and the rate of change in positive coronavirus cases.

The announcement angered some local and regional politicians in the hardest hit areas, goading a rebellious core within the ruling Conservative Party who feel the government is overreacting and unjustifiably restricting daily life.

“The authoritarianism at work today is truly appalling. But is it necessary and proportionate to the threat from this disease?” Conservative lawmaker said on Twitter, demanding the government publish their evidence.

Only three regions in England were placed in the lowest tier 1 category: the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly — all far removed from more heavily populated metropolitan areas of the country.

Tiers will be reviewed on Dec. 16, making it possible for areas that slow the spread of the virus to be moved down a notch before Christmas.

All adults should do a minimum of 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, even more vital for well-being and mental health in the Covid-19 era, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday in its first guidance in a decade.

It recommended that children and adolescents have an average of one hour of daily physical exercise and limit time in front of electronic screens.

And people of all ages must compensate for growing sedentary behaviour with physical activity to ward off disease and add years to their lives, the WHO said, launching its “Every Move Counts” campaign.

“Increasing physical activity not only helps prevent and manage heart disease, type-2 diabetes and cancer, it also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduces cognitive decline including Alzheimer’s and improves memory,” Ruediger Krech, WHO director for health promotion, told a news briefing.

Yet one in four adults and a “staggering” four out of five adolescents do not get enough physical activity, which can include walking, cycling, gardening and cleaning, the WHO said.

“These guidelines emphasise what many are experiencing during the Covid restrictions that are applied all over the world. And that is that being active every day is good not only our bodies but also our mental health,” said Fiona Bull, head of WHO’s physical activity unit.

“Phone a friend and do classes online together, help your family members, do it as a family. And when you can, get outside,” she said.

Research into the ill-effects of sedentary behaviour has grown in the past decade, leading to the new advice, Bull said.

“That is limit sedentary time, and do more activity to offset sedentary time, particularly for those who do long hours of sedentary, which includes a lot of people who have got office-based work environments,” she said. “For children we also recommend they limit sedentary time, particularly screen time.”

Pregnant women and postpartum mothers are now included in the recommendations of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week for adults.

This brings health benefits for both the mother and baby, according to Juana Willumsen, a WHO technical officer. “For example there is a 30% reduction in gestational diabetes amongst women who are physically active during pregnancy,” she said.

Adults above 65 are advised to add muscle strengthening and activities focusing on balance and coordination to help prevent falls later.

Devices worn on the wrist or hip that track physical activity are helpful for all, Bull said.

“Monitoring how active you are is very good feedback,” she said. “That is important because we tend to think we might be more active. We tend to underestimate how much time we spend sedentary.”

Turkey does not expect ties with the United States to be strained under President-elect Joe Biden and does not anticipate sanctions over its purchase of Russia S-400 defence systems, a senior official in President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party said.

Relations have been tense between Ankara and Washington over issues from policy toward Syria to the US refusal to extradite a cleric Turkey blames for a 2016 coup attempt.

Turkey has relied on the good personal ties between Erdogan and US President Donald Trump to smooth over divisions, but Biden is expected to be tougher on Turkey over foreign and defence policies and Ankara’s human rights record.

Ankara’s purchase last year of the S-400s, which are not compatible with NATO defences, raised the prospect of US sanctions early next year if Congress approves a defence spending bill which the House of Representatives has already voted to include language requiring the president to sanction Turkey.

“The US President will most likely watch the balance in the Middle East very carefully for US interests, and will not want to continue the tense ties with Turkey,” Kurtulmus said.

“…I believe they will take positive steps in the future.”

PROMISED REFORMS

Washington says the S-400s pose a threat to the capabilities of its F-35 stealth fighter jets and has removed Turkey from the jet programme where it was a manufacturer and buyer.

Ankara says the S-400s will not be integrated into NATO and has called for a joint working group to discuss US concerns. Kurtulmus repeated that Turkey would not bow to pressure to return the Russian systems, or leave them unused.

“Sorry, but we didn’t procure these to hide them. We got them to meet Turkey’s security needs,” he said. While Erdogan has downplayed the possible fallout from these sanctions and vowed counter-sanctions, he has also promised economic and judicial reforms, following an overhaul of Turkey’s economic leadership amid a plunge in the lira.

Asked if the reforms were aimed at easing tensions with the United States and the European Union, which will also evaluate possible sanctions against Ankara next month, Kurtulmus said the government would act only for Turkey’s interest.

“We act by thinking about what reforms we need, what steps to democratization will benefit our people and move on that path, not by thinking what act or rhetoric would please them,” he said.

World COVID-19 Deaths in LTC Facilities Surpass 100,000 analysis

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