Lessons learned from COVID‐19 outbreak in a skilled nursing facility, Washington State

Abstract Long‐term care facilities have been identified as a local epicenter of disease among populations vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). A skilled nursing facility in Washington State was the first major site of COVID‐19 infections in the United States. Many lessons were learned...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stephen C. Morris, Aaron T. Resnick, Susan A. England, Susan A. Stern, Steven H. Mitchell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2020-08-01
Series:Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12137
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Long‐term care facilities have been identified as a local epicenter of disease among populations vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). A skilled nursing facility in Washington State was the first major site of COVID‐19 infections in the United States. Many lessons were learned during the events surrounding this outbreak, including how to develop, and the importance of, a coordinated response between emergency medical services and local area hospitals. As these events came early in the U.S. pandemic, unfortunately, disease spread and mortality was high. However, these events also resulted in rapid mobilization of the regional response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Understanding the events surrounding this outbreak demonstrate some of the challenges involved in responding to acute infectious illnesses within these unique environments and associated vulnerable populations.
ISSN:2688-1152