A wave of coronavirus that impacted senior homes across the state seems to be subsiding.
According to information from AARP, the virus caused a rise in deaths at nursing homes.
More in a press release:
According to AARP’s Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard, rates of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents nationwide increased 23% in the four weeks ending Jan. 22 compared to the previous Dashboard period ending Dec.18. The increase represents the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes nationwide since the first Omicron wave last winter.
In Virginia, resident deaths increased by 160% in the four weeks ending Jan. 22, compared to the previous four weeks, with resident cases up 82% and staff cases up by 45% during the same period. However, more recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that deaths and cases in the two weeks since Jan. 22 declined by about one-third from the rates during the Dashboard period.
“While it is good news that the early winter wave of COVID-19 appears to have peaked nationwide, this new report shows that our loved ones in nursing homes are still highly vulnerable to the virus,” said AARP Virginia State Director Jim Dau. “Vaccinations are the best defense against COVID-19, and we must remain vigilant about protecting this population.”
