With the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, older people are considered the most vulnerable individuals. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities (LTCF) have faced repeated COVID-19 outbreaks. Various approaches can be used to prevent further transmission of COVID-19 among residents of LTCFs. As such, is serial testing of staff and residents of LTCFs the most effective strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19 compared to symptom or temperature-based screening during the pandemic?
Despite the vulnerability of older people to contaminating COVID-19, followed by worsened symptoms and outcomes, the staff of LTCFs is also considered endangered due to the close contact with residents. As such, serial testing should be conducted on both staff and residents. Serial testing is usually conducted during an outbreak, together with IPC measures, such as isolation, until all tests are negative. According to Bolt et al. (2021), mass testing using a nasopharyngeal swab with reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction proved to be superior to symptom screening due to the latter’s high rates of asymptomatic infection. Attention to ventilation, environmental management, and digital health applications are also considered beneficial but not as effective as serial testing (Bolt et al., 2021). Additionally, even with the implementation of vaccination programs, continuing serial testing and prevention measures can still be required to protect the lives of vulnerable people.
As a result, during the COVID-19 pandemic, serial testing is proven to be more efficient in identifying and preventing COVID-19 cases than a symptom or temperature-based screening due to high rates of asymptomatic infections. Furthermore, serial testing should be used universally to protect residents of LTCFs, who are older people with a higher risk of being vulnerable to the disease, as well as the staff of LTFCs.
Reference
Bolt, S. R., van der Steen, J. T., Mujezinović, I., Janssen, D., Schols, J., Zwakhalen, S., Khemai, C., Knapen, E., Dijkstra, L., & Meijers, J. (2021). Practical nursing recommendations for palliative care for people with dementia living in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid scoping review.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Web.