According to federal data released on Monday, almost 26,000 nursing home residents lost their battle against coronavirus in the United States. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that one-quarter of nursing homes had at least one case, and one in five had at least one death.
The cases were more severe in poorly equipped facilities. These facilities are known for their weak infection controls and few staffers per resident. The released report is the first US government tally reporting the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes. More than 60,000 residents have tested positive for the virus.
However, the data doesn't give complete insight, according to the agency's administrator Seema Verma. She said that it covers only about 80% of nursing homes, and it doesn't include assisted living facilities, because nursing homes didn't get the authorization to provide this information to the federal government until May 1, though Verma said that most facilities likely reported cases and deaths before that date, as well.
