The COVID-19 has impacted people in long-term facilities more than other people since massive outbreaks have been noted in many care centers around the globe. The disease has affected everyone including visitors, care workers, and residents. Residents of a long-term care are more vulnerable because of their underlying health conditions and advanced age. They require better protection to avoid contracting the disease since they are more likely to develop complications that can cause prolonged implications or even death (Massarweh et al. 343). Residents should be prioritized in every effort to fight the disease including the vaccination process. This paper intends to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on long-term care facilities, and consider the cost, quality, and access to health care services.
Infected people can be asymptomatic, or develop critical, severe, and moderate symptoms where asymptomatic are the patients who are not showing any sign of the disease apart from testing positive. The cost of treating them is usually low because they do not require any medication though they need monitoring. The cost tends to rise with the severity of the disease where people in critical and severe conditions require ventilators and other services such as close monitoring of heartbeat.
The high cost of treatment and limited health care facilities are barriers to treatment services. Poverty obstructs many people from receiving quality medication simply because they cannot afford it. Unfortunately, the prevalence of other conditions such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and diabetes are usually high in poverty-stricken areas since they are poorly managed. This increases their vulnerability and the likelihood of developing COVID-19 related complications in case they become infected.
The pandemic has compromised the quality of health care services in many ways including increasing pressure on the available health resources and creating fear that discourages people from seeking health services for other conditions. An increase in demand for hospital services that are not in line with the increase in capacity implies that care centers struggle to meet the sudden rise in the number of patients. This hinders the quality of care associated with burnout and excessive overload since practitioners are forced to work for longer shifts. Moreover, the cost of treating and managing the condition tends to increase because of the need for isolation services where positive individuals are separated from other people.
The pandemic has impacted the stakeholders of long-term care and hospitals including providers, payers, and patients. While providers have been overwhelmed by the extensive rise of the need for health care services, payers have been forced to spend more to cover the involved cost. Acute and severe patients require life support machines to maintain the functioning of vital organs increasing the cost of treatment. Most patients develop moderate or mild symptoms, 5% develop a critical illness while 10-15% develop a severe condition (Basmi et al. 76). People with mild or moderate symptoms tend to recover within 2 and 6 weeks (Basmi et al. 80). However, some symptoms can persist or linger for several weeks or months after the recovery. Critically ill patients are likely to develop long-lasting health effects because of medical complications. Some of the symptoms that may persist include body aches, nausea, diarrhea, confusion, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, loss of smell and taste, cough, shortness of breath, and congestion.
In some cases, COVID-19 has prolonged medical conditions hindering patients who have recovered from regaining their previous health. Risk factors for extended symptoms include mental health, obesity, and high blood pressure. It interferes with various body organs such as the brain, lungs, and heart, and interferes with musculoskeletal and mental health. Damages to lung tissues cause restrictive lung failure while damages to heart muscles cause heart failure. Poor mental health is associated with sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. One should ensure good ventilation of indoor spaces and keep away from crowded places. Facemask is an essential preventive tool that everyone should use to prevent spreading or contracting the virus.
COVID-19 has caused a negative outcome to my personal life in many ways since I have to adhere to the provided guidelines such as cleaning hands frequently with running water and soap for a period exceeding 40 seconds and maintaining social distance. Unlike in the past, I am now maintaining proper hygiene practices including covering the mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or disposable tissue when sneezing or coughing. I am no longer touching the mouth, nose, and eyes and I am now maintaining a physical distance of no less than a meter. The condition has restricted my movements since I am only leaving the house to buy food and other important items.
COVID-19 has affected people with low immunity, more particularly those in long-term facilities. Since the condition is highly contagious, it has infected many people around the globe and is considered a pandemic. The cost of treatment depends on the severity and developed systems where asymptomatic patients incur the least cost (Massarweh et al. 344). The high number of patients has created pressure on the available health facilities hindering access to those services. Poverty obstructs people from seeking health services because they are too expensive for them. These factors compromise the quality of care and hinder the delivery of desirable medical support.
Works Cited
Basmi, Wadii, et al. “Distributed and scalable platform architecture for smart cities complex events data collection: Covid19 pandemic use case.” Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing vol 12, no. 1, 2021, pp. 75-83.
Massarweh, Nader N., Kamal MF Itani, and Melanie S. Morris. “The VA MISSION Act and the Future of Veterans’ Access to Quality Health Care.” Jama, vol. 324, no. 4, 2020, pp. 343-344.