The CDC and CMS have issued new recommendations to nursing homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, telling the facilities to immediately implement symptom screening for all staff, residents and visitors, including temperature checks.
Nursing homes should also use separate staffing teams for residents to curb the transmission of the virus and designate separate facilities or units within a facility to house known or suspected cases of COVID-19.
Additionally, nursing homes should ensure that they are complying with all CMS and CDC guidance related to infection control and make sure their staff are using appropriate personal protective equipment when they are interacting with patients and residents.
CMS and the CDC also urge state and local governments to help nursing homes gain access to adequate supplies and COVID-19 tests.
"Nursing homes are unique in the healthcare system because, unlike other healthcare facilities, they are full-time homes as well as settings of care," the statement from CMS reads. "Importantly, nursing home residents, given their advanced age and corresponding health issues, are at particular risk of complications arising from COVID-19."
More articles on public health:
73% of US physicians can't easily test for COVID-19, survey finds
New York City's public health system to convert all facilities into ICUs + 20 updates from the 6 hardest hit states
92M Americans at risk of severe COVID-19 illness: 4 things to know