MMWR: Proactive COVID-19 Testing to Prevent Further Infection

Summary

What is already known about this topic?

Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are at risk for severe COVID-19. Facility-wide testing, even in the absence of a reported COVID-19 case, can identify asymptomatic and presymptomatic infection in LTCFs.

What is added by this report?

LTCFs in which testing was conducted after a confirmed case of COVID-19 were found to have significantly higher proportions of infected residents and staff members at initial testing and after 4 weeks of follow-up compared with those testing as a preventive measure. The majority of LTCFs testing as a preventive measure identified an infection, although initial prevalence was significantly lower and fewer cases occurred during follow-up.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Proactive testing of LTCF residents and staff members might prevent large COVID-19 outbreaks in LTCFs through early identification and timely infection prevention and control response.

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Emory Rollins Epidemiology Fellowship

The Rollins Epidemiology Fellowship’s mission is to enhance Georgia’s state and local public health programs by training exceptional epidemiologists who passionately serve their communities through critical surveillance, outbreak response, and general public health practice.