This news article is an opinion piece that challenges the idea that “better” nursing homes were less likely to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Grabowski’s research teams concluded that the factors most predictive of a coronavirus outbreak are location and facility size.
• The location of a nursing home is associated with community incidence of COVID-19 and other regional characteristics including: population density, prevalence of the virus reported in the region, and the racial distribution of the nursing home are all factors involved.
• In order to prevent more nursing home outbreaks, it is essential to identify and respond to the regional and local context of nursing homes and enact measures that prevent facility staff from introducing the novel coronavirus due to community spread including: adequate compensation to prevent “moonlighting” in multiple clinical scenarios, robust sick/family leave policies, and adequate supplies of testing equipment and personal protective equipment.

David C. Grabowski, R. (2020, June 25). Opinion | We can’t protect nursing homes from covid-19 without protecting everyone. Retrieved August 04, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/25/we-cant-protect-nursing-homes-covid-19-without-protecting-everyone/

Summary authored by Daniel Chimitt with edits by Jennifer Carnahan, MD, MPH, MA