While only 1.6 percent of the U.S. population – 5.1 million people as of 2016 – lives in nursing homes and other residential care facilities, an estimated 40 percent of deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in these facilities, excluding the New York City area.
The dramatically disproportionate death toll from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus in nursing homes holds true in many countries around the world.
Researchers at the International Long Term Care Policy Network report that in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, and Sweden, 49.4 percent of reported COVID-19 death have taken place in nursing homes.
Some 94 percent of our nation’s workforce is under age 55, and those without serious medical conditions are at far lower risk of dying from COVID-19 than are elderly Americans. In addition, children having the lowest severity profile of COVID-19 deaths. We knew it, but it’s interesting to see the actual numbers. Not sure why they didn’t count the NYS nursing home mortality... basically, about half of the deaths seem to have occurred in nursing homes. She offers suggestions, but it ain’t easy.
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