CDC Releases Two New MMWRs on COVID-19 in Nursing Homes
CDC published two new COVID-19-related MMWR reports: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Involving Residents Receiving Dialysis in a Nursing Home and Facility-Wide Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Nursing Homes. The first report found a higher prevalence COVID-19 cases in residents receiving dialysis (47%) than those not receiving dialysis (16%) in a Maryland nursing home outbreak.
The latter found that facility-wide testing in nursing homes after identifying a positive case might help to “maximize the benefits of infection prevention and control interventions.” For facilities without a known COVID-19 case, alternative testing strategies may be more efficient, including focusing on high-risk populations within facilities.
Children and COVID-19: A State Level Report
Arizona has the highest rate of child infections in the country at 1,200/100,000. This is more than 2.5 times the national average of 500/100,000.
The American Academy of Pediatrics published their state-level report last week which is the first publicly available report specifically focused on the childhood epidemiology of the disease in the US. The report shares all publicly available data from states on child COVID-19 cases. The Appendix has the details and links to all data sources.
The report will be valuable as researchers begin to examine the links between public health policies and the resulting outcomes. Once the pandemic is finished, we will have rich evidence to compare the effectiveness of policies in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New MMWR on Mental Health and Substance Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic
A recently released MMWR on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic describes the results of surveys conducted among U.S. adults. Nearly half of respondents reported at least one negative behavioral or mental health condition. .