One of the things we do here at COTTonLINE is write about things people would rather not talk about, for a variety of reasons. For example, everybody knows long term care facilities had Covid-19 outbreaks because certain governors (looking at you, Cuomo) required them to house people who’d tested positive for coronavirus.
Not talked about is that LTC jobs are mostly poorly paid, many are unpleasant, and they tend to be staffed by people who can find nothing better. In other words, the poor and unskilled, very often minorities.
The “poor and unskilled” are also groups with high incidences of Covid-19. People come to work in LTC facilities from exactly those multigenerational home environments where the virus is most often found.
So even where no infected persons were admitted as residents, a natural vector of infection - employees - existed. LTCs have not historically been diligent about preventing cross-contamination - changing gloves, scrubs, hand washing, private rooms. And I’m not certain they offer paid sick leave, in the absence of which those who “aren’t too sick” will drag themselves to work.
Perhaps LTCs can be pressed to learn to be more hospital-like. With minimum wage employees and substantial turnover (he shrugs) it is unclear how successful they will be. You might want to go back and see what we wrote just over a month ago, concerning the Japanese experience.
