Publications by authors named "Claire Brostrom-Smith"
Article Synopsis
- In July 2021, a COVID-19 outbreak occurred at an event meant for fully vaccinated attendees, highlighting failures in safety protocols.
- The investigation found unvaccinated staff, inadequate masking, poor ventilation, and overcrowding contributed to the outbreak.
- It's crucial for businesses to create and enforce thorough COVID-19 prevention plans to minimize the risk of virus spread at similar events.
Article Synopsis
- Effective early detection of COVID-19 in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is crucial for managing outbreaks, as shown by a study of 118 residents at one facility with a high infection rate (86% positive cases).
- Most infected residents exhibited significant symptoms, such as abnormal vital signs and changes in oxygen status, with over 90% showing common symptoms like fever and lethargy; some cases presented without fever or cough.
- The study highlights the importance of closely monitoring symptoms and vital signs to quickly identify and respond to COVID-19 infections, suggesting that SNFs adopt systematic approaches to track these indicators.
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can spread rapidly within skilled nursing facilities. After identification of a case of Covid-19 in a skilled nursing facility, we assessed transmission and evaluated the adequacy of symptom-based screening to identify infections in residents.
Methods: We conducted two serial point-prevalence surveys, 1 week apart, in which assenting residents of the facility underwent nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal testing for SARS-CoV-2, including real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), viral culture, and sequencing.
Article Synopsis
- Older adults face a higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes due to age and health conditions, as illustrated by an outbreak in a King County skilled nursing facility that began on February 28, 2020.
- A health care worker at a second facility (Facility A) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after working while showing symptoms, leading to the identification of multiple symptomatic residents by March 6.
- Testing at Facility A revealed that around 30% of residents tested positive for COVID-19, with many being asymptomatic, highlighting the ineffectiveness of symptom-based screening and the need for proactive measures to prevent virus introduction.
Article Synopsis
- Long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable to severe Covid-19 outbreaks due to the age and health conditions of residents, combined with the movement of health care staff between facilities.* -
- After detecting a case on February 28, 2020, health authorities in Washington launched extensive measures including contact tracing and quarantines, resulting in 167 confirmed cases linked to one facility by March 18, with high hospitalization and fatality rates among residents.* -
- The findings highlight the necessity for long-term care facilities to proactively manage staff and visitor health, monitor patients, and enforce stringent infection control practices to mitigate Covid-19 risks.*
On February 28, 2020, a case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was identified in a woman resident of a long-term care skilled nursing facility (facility A) in King County, Washington.* Epidemiologic investigation of facility A identified 129 cases of COVID-19 associated with facility A, including 81 of the residents, 34 staff members, and 14 visitors; 23 persons died. Limitations in effective infection control and prevention and staff members working in multiple facilities contributed to intra- and interfacility spread.
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