AI Article Synopsis
- This study analyzed COVID-19 outbreaks in Scottish care homes for older people from March 1 to March 31, 2020, focusing on outbreak characteristics and patterns.
- Approximately 41% of care homes experienced outbreaks, with variations in size (1-63 cases) and duration (1-94 days), revealing four outbreak patterns: typical, severe, contained, and late-onset.
- Findings highlighted that larger care homes and rising community COVID-19 cases increased outbreak risk, underscoring the need for improved data collection and community health measures to better protect vulnerable residents.
Article Abstract
Background: understanding care-home outbreaks of COVID-19 is a key public health priority in the ongoing pandemic to help protect vulnerable residents.
Objective: to describe all outbreaks of COVID-19 infection in Scottish care-homes for older people between 01/03/2020 and 31/03/2020, with follow-up to 30/06/2020.
Design And Setting: National linked data cohort analysis of Scottish care-homes for older people.
Methods: data linkage was used to identify outbreaks of COVID-19 in care-homes. Care-home characteristics associated with the presence of an outbreak were examined using logistic regression. Size of outbreaks was modelled using negative binomial regression.
Results: 334 (41%) Scottish care-homes for older people experienced an outbreak, with heterogeneity in outbreak size (1-63 cases; median = 6) and duration (1-94 days, median = 31.5 days). Four distinct patterns of outbreak were identified: 'typical' (38% of outbreaks, mean 11.2 cases and 48 days duration), severe (11%, mean 29.7 cases and 60 days), contained (37%, mean 3.5 cases and 13 days) and late-onset (14%, mean 5.4 cases and 17 days). Risk of a COVID-19 outbreak increased with increasing care-home size (for ≥90 beds vs <20, adjusted OR = 55.4, 95% CI 15.0-251.7) and rising community prevalence (OR = 1.2 [1.0-1.4] per 100 cases/100,000 population increase). No routinely available care-home characteristic was associated with outbreak size.
Conclusions: reducing community prevalence of COVID-19 infection is essential to protect those living in care-homes. More systematic national data collection to understand care-home residents and the homes in which they live is a priority in ensuring we can respond more effectively in future.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8136021 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afab099 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Geosocial Media's Early Warning Capabilities Across US County-Level Political Clusters: Observational Study.
JMIR Infodemiology
January 2025
Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Puch/Salzburg, Austria.
Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) sparked significant health concerns worldwide, prompting policy makers and health care experts to implement nonpharmaceutical public health interventions, such as stay-at-home orders and mask mandates, to slow the spread of the virus. While these interventions proved essential in controlling transmission, they also caused substantial economic and societal costs and should therefore be used strategically, particularly when disease activity is on the rise. In this context, geosocial media posts (posts with an explicit georeference) have been shown to provide a promising tool for anticipating moments of potential health care crises.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEstimating the trend of COVID-19 in Norway by combining multiple surveillance indicators.
PLoS One
January 2025
Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Infection Control, Oslo, Norway.
Estimating the trend of new infections was crucial for monitoring risk and for evaluating strategies and interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic revealed the utility of new data sources and highlighted challenges in interpreting surveillance indicators when changes in disease severity, testing practices or reporting occur. Our study aims to estimate the underlying trend in new COVID-19 infections by combining estimates of growth rates from all available surveillance indicators in Norway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGeneral practice registrar evaluation of long COVID in patients presenting with fatigue.
Aust J Prim Health
January 2025
Discipline of General Practice, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Background Long COVID is a new and prevalent condition defined by persistent symptoms following acute COVID-19 infection. While increasing resources are being directed to management, there is little evidence on how general practitioners (GPs) have changed their assessment and differential diagnosis of patients with potential long COVID symptoms including fatigue. This study aimed to examine how often GP registrars consider long COVID in patients presenting with fatigue, how often they think long COVID might be the cause for fatigue, and patient, registrar, practice, and consultation factors associated with these outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNot too much, not too little. Titrating flow rate to minimise inspiratory effort during helmet CPAP: A bench study.
Pulmonology
December 2025
Department of Emergency and Intensive Care, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei tintori, Monza, Italy.
Background: Non-invasive helmet respiratory support is suitable for several clinical conditions. Continuous-flow helmet CPAP systems equipped with HEPA filters have become popular during the recent Coronavirus pandemic. However, HEPA filters generate an overpressure above the set PEEP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFManagement of Psychosis and Schizophrenia by Primary Care GPs: A Cross-Sectional Study in Spain.
J Prim Care Community Health
January 2025
Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
Aim: To investigate the detection and initial management of first psychotic episodes, as well as established schizophrenia, within the primary care of the Andalusian Health System.
Background: Delay in detecting and treating psychosis is associated with slower recovery, higher relapse risk, and poorer long-term outcomes. Often, psychotic episodes go unnoticed for years before a diagnosis is established.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!