scholarly journals The Impact of the Speed of Vaccine Rollout on COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes

Author(s):  
Nathan M. Stall ◽  
Allison McGeer ◽  
Antonina Maltsev ◽  
Isaac I. Bogoch ◽  
Kevin A. Brown ◽  
...  

Key Message Accelerating the rollout of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine such that all LTC residents receive the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by January 31, 2021, would prevent a projected 600 COVID-19 cases and 115 deaths by March 31, 2021 when compared with the province’s current plan to vaccinate all LTC residents by February 15, 2021. Projections indicate that further acceleration of the rollout would prevent even more COVID-19 cases and deaths. If vaccine supply is limited, the early provision of first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to LTC home residents is likely to be more beneficial than the on-schedule provision of second doses to health care workers outside of LTC homes. All LTC residents should receive the second dose according to approved vaccination schedules.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Chicoine

Seasonal influenza is a serious public health problem that contributes to significant morbidity and mortality locally, nationally, and globally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that influenza has caused between 9.2 million and 60.8 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations, and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010, and approximately 80- 90 percent of influenza related deaths occurred in people 65 years and older. In 2012, prompted by the mounting\ evidence of the risk of nosocomial influenza infection for patients and low influenza vaccination rates of health care workers, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) amended its Rules and Regulations for Immunization and Testing for Healthcare Workers. This amendment included mandatory influenza vaccinations for all health care workers, students, volunteers, and trainees who have direct patient contact within a health care facility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the regulation of mandating influenza vaccination for health care workers in Rhode Island on influenza incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths of residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF). Surveillance data for influenza incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths among residents of LTCF pre and post the policy implementation are analyzed and results presented. Policy and practice implications for public health nursing are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Chicoine

Seasonal influenza is a serious public health problem that contributes to significant morbidity and mortality locally, nationally, and globally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that influenza has caused between 9.2 million and 60.8 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations, and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually since 2010, and approximately 80- 90 percent of influenza related deaths occurred in people 65 years and older. In 2012, prompted by the mounting\ evidence of the risk of nosocomial influenza infection for patients and low influenza vaccination rates of health care workers, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) amended its Rules and Regulations for Immunization and Testing for Healthcare Workers. This amendment included mandatory influenza vaccinations for all health care workers, students, volunteers, and trainees who have direct patient contact within a health care facility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the regulation of mandating influenza vaccination for health care workers in Rhode Island on influenza incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths of residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF). Surveillance data for influenza incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths among residents of LTCF pre and post the policy implementation are analyzed and results presented. Policy and practice implications for public health nursing are discussed.


1998 ◽  
Vol 27 (suppl 2) ◽  
pp. 45-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Stott ◽  
G. D. Murray ◽  
A. Elder ◽  
W. B. Carman ◽  

1997 ◽  
Vol 175 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Potter ◽  
D. J. Stott ◽  
M. A. Roberts ◽  
A. G. Elder ◽  
B. O'Donnell ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitch van Hensbergen ◽  
Casper D.J. den Heijer ◽  
Petra Wolffs ◽  
Volker Hackert ◽  
Henriette L.G. ter Waarbeek ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The Dutch province of Limburg borders the German district of Heinsberg, which had a large cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to local carnival activities in February, before any cases were reported in the Netherlands. However, Heinsberg was not included as an area reporting local or community transmission per the national case definition at the time. In early March, two residents from a long-term care facility (LTCF) in Sittard, a Dutch town located in close vicinity to the district of Heinsberg, started experiencing respiratory symptoms and were admitted to the regional hospital at which they were tested for COVID-19. Introduction of the virus could have occurred following the carnival activities in the surrounding area by LTCF visitors or health care workers.Methods: Surveys and semi-structured oral interviews were conducted with all present residents by health care workers during regular points of care for information on new or unusual signs and symptoms of disease. Both throat and nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from residents suspect of COVID-19 for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction and whole genome sequencing was performed using a SARS-CoV-2 specific amplicon-based Nanopore sequencing approach. Additionally, twelve random residents were sampled for possible asymptomatic infections.Results: Since the start of the outbreak, nineteen (19%) residents tested positive for COVID-19. Eleven samples were sequenced, along with three random samples from COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the regional hospital at the time of the LTCF outbreak. Conclusions: All samples were linked to COVID-19 cases from the cross-border region of Heinsberg, Germany. Symptoms were reported only in about two third of the cases, and tended to be generally mild. We therefore recommend low-level screening of HCWs and residents following a confirmed COVID-19 case, even in the absence of symptoms. Since the LTCF residents who tested positive did not meet the criteria for suspect cases of COVID-19 at the time, this highlights the importance of cooperation among cross-border partners in order to establish a coordinated implementation of infection control measures in the region on top of national guidelines to limit the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.


The Lancet ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 355 (9198) ◽  
pp. 93-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F Carman ◽  
Alexander G Elder ◽  
Lesley A Wallace ◽  
Karen McAulay ◽  
Andrew Walker ◽  
...  

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