Whole Care Home Testing for Covid-19 in a Local Authority Area in the United Kingdom
Abstract
Objectives
To describe the point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in care homes reporting low numbers of cases of COVID-19.
Design
A cross-sectional study of care homes, ascertaining perceived disease burden using interviews with care home managers and SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in residents and staff using nose and throat swabbing.
Setting
15 Care homes in Essex, United Kingdom, all of which had reported either zero or one case of COVID-19 to the Health Protection Team.
Participants
912 residents and staff of care homes were tested. Residents were eligible to be tested regardless of symptoms.
Main outcome measure
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in residents and staff.
Results
In the 15 care homes studied, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 23 (5.2%) of 441 residents. Of these 23, 21/23 (91%) were asymptomatic as reported by the care home managers. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 8/471 (1.7%) of staff. This differs from that in residents (p=0.003).
Conclusions
The study’s findings suggest that symptoms, as reported by care home managers, are an insensitive method of defining the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection in nursing homes. Viral detection from residents is more common than from staff. Microbiological screening is a more sensitive method for defining the extent of SARS-CoV-2 in care homes than managerial reporting of resident symptoms.
Related articles
Related articles are currently not available for this article.