Washington D.C., Mar 11, 2020 / 14:00 pm
Nursing care facilities around the country are ramping up efforts to protect their residents as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase. This week, one religious order told CNA how they are working to protect the elderly in their care.
At least 1,088 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the United States and 31 people are reported to have died from the virus. More than half of the deaths, 19, were connected to a single nursing home in the city of Kirkland, WA.
In this one nursing home, 55 people contracted the virus, the second-largest number of cases in the United States connected to a single location. Across the state, 10 different elderly care facilities have residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.
The elderly are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, with a fatality rate of nearly 15% of cases. Conversely, those under the age of 30 have almost all recovered from the disease.