Serial Testing for SARS-CoV-2 and Virus Whole Genome Sequencing Inform Infection Risk at Two Skilled Nursing Facilities with COVID-19 Outbreaks - Minnesota, April-June 2020.

Serial Testing for SARS-CoV-2 and Virus Whole Genome Sequencing Inform Infection Risk at Two Skilled Nursing Facilities with COVID-19 Outbreaks - Minnesota, April-June 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Sep 18;69(37):1288-1295 Authors: Taylor J, Carter RJ, Lehnertz N, Kazazian L, Sullivan M, Wang X, Garfin J, Diekman S, Plumb M, Bennet ME, Hale T, Vallabhaneni S, Namugenyi S, Carpenter D, Turner-Harper D, Booth M, Coursey EJ, Martin K, McMahon M, Beaudoin A, Lifson A, Holzbauer S, Reddy SC, Jernigan JA, Lynfield R, Minnesota Long-Term Care COVID-19 Response Group Abstract SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can spread rapidly in high-risk congregate settings such as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) (1). In Minnesota, SNF-associated cases accounted for 3,950 (8%) of 48,711 COVID-19 cases reported through July 21, 2020; 35% of SNF-associated cases involved health care personnel (HCP*), including six deaths. Facility-wide, serial testing in SNFs has been used to identify residents with asymptomatic and presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection to inform mitigation efforts, including cohorting of residents with positive test results and exclusion of infected HCP from the workplace (2,3). During April-June 2020, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), with CDC assistance, conducted weekly serial testing at two SNFs experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. Among 259 tested residents, and 341 tested HCP, 64% and 3...
Source: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkl... - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Tags: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Source Type: research