Amy Hsu, PhD, released a report on the impact of COVID-19 in Canada’s long-term care homes.
06/03/2020
Amy Hsu, PhD, released
a report on the impact of COVID-19 in Canada's long-term care homes.
View a visual dashboard summary of COVID-19 in long term care homes here.
Her key findings (as of June 3, 2020):
- Case fatality rate among residents in Canadian long-term care homes is estimated to be between 20 to 41%. This is roughly 10 to 20% higher than the global case fatality rate among people over the age of 80.
- Based on publicly available information, Amy Hsu, PhD, and her team found that deaths in long-term care residents currently represent 85% of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada.
- Difference in the overall size and density of the population in each province, which influences the rate of community transmission, may partially affect regional differences in prevalence of COVID-19 cases in long-term care homes, rather than the proportions of provincial/territorial populations 80 years or older living in these settings.
- Given the vulnerability of residents in long-term care homes, the proper implementation of infection prevention and control policies is the most effective strategy to reduce overall rates of infection and deaths in this population.
- Policy measures to ensure the adequate staffing, the limitation of movement of healthcare workers between multiple sites, access to personal protective equipment, and ensuring that staff know how to use it properly will also be key in helping to prevent the continued spread of COVID-19 and associated mortality in Canadian long-term care home residents.
In the news:
CBC – June 10, 2020
Study paints grim picture of Canada's care-home mortality rates
Ottawa Citizen – May 7, 2020