Lessons Learned – Outbreaks of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes

Nursing home (NH) residents comprise a disproportionately high percentage of the deaths from COVID-19 in the United States1 because close quarters exacerbate asymptomatic and presymptomatic spread among vulnerable populations. As infectious disease doctors and healthcare epidemiologists, our collective practice has been dedicated to preventing the spread of resistant bacteria in NHs, with a focus on implementing and assessing the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).2–5 Thus, we were well-positioned to provide guidance for preventing the introduction of COVID-19 into the local NHs, and subsequently preventing its spread within these facilities when we had cases.