Good COVID-19 News: Nursing Home Cases Plummet In California

If the numbers are any indication, the coronavirus vaccine is having a dramatic and positive effect on the number of coronavirus cases reported in nursing homes in California.

Nursing home cases nationwide are down an astonishing 96 percent, according to a recently released report by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. There were 1,349 cases reported in nursing homes on March 7, down from 33,540 on Dec. 20.

Through its research, the organization also found that deaths in nursing homes due to coronavirus complications were also down 91 percent during the same time period.

The reason for the decline, the report says, was the early prioritization of vaccines for nursing home residents and older Americans.

California is no exception to the trend illustrated in the American Health Care Association report.

A total of 58,499 cases in nursing homes or assisted living facilities have been reported in our state since the start of the pandemic, according to data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. At least 9,059 residents have died due to complications from the virus.

Data compiled by the American Association of Retired Persons illustrates how nursing home cases have declined since the peak of the pandemic last winter.

In December, there were 11.3 COVID-19 cases per 100 residents reported in our state, according to AARP data. By February, that number had dropped to 3.4 per 100 residents, representing a 70 percent decrease.

The American Health Care Association report also suggests cases in nursing homes are dropping faster than community cases, which have seen a 76 percent decline since Dec. 20.

At least 66.2 million Americans have now been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, nearly 31.9 million were administered to people over 65 years of age.

As of Thursday, about 58.4 percent of Americans age 65 and older have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, CDC data says. Nearly 77 percent have received one dose.

To accompany the release of its report, the American Health Care Association called on Congress to consider the industry-lobbied Care For Our Seniors Act, a proposal that would address long-standing systemic issues in the long-term care industry, improve quality of care and more.