Opinion
Time to rethink testing approach in long-term care facilities
By Jennifer Zelmer and David Mowat February 3, 2021
New testing options and new science suggest ways to refine testing strategies to meet local needs and changing pandemic status.
Classic public health measures like good hygiene, physical distancing, limits on travel and activities, and masks matter, but we also need focused approaches within long-term care homes themselves. Photograph courtesy of Unsplash
COVID-19 has affected us all, but a great deal of the impact has been on older adults, and especially those living in long-term care homes. Eight in 10 deaths from COVID-19 in the first wave of the pandemic in Canada came from long-term care residences. The spread of the virus in these settings has proven challenging to control. Vaccines offer hope for the future and are beginning to roll out, but they are not a panacea.
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