Cases and deaths in RSAs are decreasing. This is what emerges from the second edition of the surveillance report on nursing homes (RSA), produced by the Higher Institute of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the National Guarantor for the rights of persons deprived of personal liberty and Ars Toscana. : “In residential facilities, the first effects of anti-Covid-19 vaccinations are beginning to be seen, with a decrease in both the incidence of the disease among residents and operators, and in the number of isolated residents, and, albeit to an even lesser extent , in deaths “.
833 structures participated in the surveillance, for a total of 30,617 beds available, from 5 October 2020 to 14 March 2021. Of these – reports the ISS in a note – 345 were residential structures for non self-sufficient elderly people, for a total of 15,398 beds.
The weekly incidence of Covid-19 in residential structures – reports the ISS – increased markedly in the months of October and November, in correspondence with the second epidemic wave, and in November 2020 it reached a peak of 3.2% in residential facilities for the elderly and 3.1% in all residential facilities, in line with that observed in the general population. On the other hand, the incidence decreases after the start of the vaccination campaign: in the last week of February and in the first weeks of March, values that are comparable to or lower than those recorded in the first week of October (of 0.6% in residential structures for elderly and 0.5% in all residential facilities in the week from 8 March to 14 March 2021). This data is in contrast with the trend of the epidemic in the general population, which showed a resurgence in the last weeks of February and early March.
A similar trend – continues the note – has had the incidence of Covid-19 cases among healthcare workers in residential structures, with a decline in the number of new cases after the start of the vaccination campaign and more evident in the last weeks of February and early March 2021. It should be remembered that health workers, as well as residents of health facilities, had priority access to vaccination.
It was also observed – notes the ISS – a significant reduction in the percentage of residents managed weekly with isolation procedures after the start of the vaccination campaign. In the last week of monitoring (8-14 March), 6.5% of residents in residential aged care facilities and 5.8% of residents in all residential facilities were managed with isolation procedures, against the peak of the 16.2% and 15.3% observed in November 2020 (November 23-29). This reduction was particularly evident when only isolation procedures for suspected, probable or confirmed Covid-19 were analyzed (2.4% of residents in residential aged care facilities and 1.8% of residents in all residential facilities in the week from 8 March to 14 March, against a peak of 10.6% and 9.6% observed in November 2020).
Finally, deaths: appear to increase in October 2020 – reads the note – until reaching a peak in the week from 9 to 15 November, with approximately 1.3% of residents of non self-sufficient elderly facilities and 0, 9% for all structures. An equivalent peak is recorded in the first week of January. A decline in the overall number of deaths is observed between the end of January and March 2021, reaching 0.6% of residents of non self-sufficient elderly care facilities and 0.4% for all facilities in the week 15-21 February 2021. In the last week of monitoring, from 8 to 14 March, the death rate was 0.8% for residents of non self-sufficient elderly care facilities and 0.5% for all facilities.