WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2020) One in five residents in US assisted living facilities (ALF) who contract COVID-19 die from the disease, the Centers for Disease Control said in a report on Thursday.
"As of October 15, 2020, an average of one death occurred among every five ALF residents with COVID-19, compared with one death among every 40 persons in the general population with COVID-19," the report said.
Compared with nursing homes, which provide constant medical supervision, ALFs serve elderly residents who are mostly independent but require some help with daily tasks.
Although the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes is well documented, relatively little has been reported on the coronavirus disease among staff and residents in ALF, in part due to the limited availability of data, the report said.
Based on limited data available in 39 states, 22 percent of ALFs reported one or more cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff members. Of residents who contracted the disease, 21 percent died, compared with less than 3 percent among the general population, the report added.
As of November 6, 2020, approximately 569,000-616,000 COVID-19 cases and 91,500 deaths were reported among long-term care facilities (LTCF) - a broad category that includes both nursing homes and ALFs - accounting for 6 percent of total COVID-19 cases and 39 percent of deaths, according to the report.
