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- Title
Results of a hospitalization policy of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic COVID-19-positive long-term care facility residents in the province of Salzburg—a report from the AGMT COVID-19 Registry.
- Authors
Huemer, Florian; Rinnerthaler, Gabriel; Jörg, Benedikt; Morre, Patrick; Stegbuchner, Birgit; Proksch, Elisabeth; Fleimisch, Stefanie; Oberkofler, Hannes; Kremser, Iris; Greil, Richard; Egle, Alexander
- Abstract
COVID-19-associated case fatality rates up to 48% were reported among nursing facility residents. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, routine SARS-CoV-2 testing in long-term care facilities in the Province of Salzburg and centralized hospitalization in the COVID-19 unit of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg (Austria) irrespective of symptoms was implemented. Baseline characteristics and the course of COVID-19 disease were assessed among hospitalized long-term care facility residents within the COVID-19 Registry of the Austrian Group Medical Tumor Therapy (AGMT; NCT04351529). Between the 24th of March and the 20th of April 2020, 50 COVID-19-positive residents were hospitalized. The median age was 84.5 years (range: 79–88) and the median number of comorbidities and baseline medication classes was 6 (IQR: 4–7) and 5 (IQR: 3–6), respectively. At admission, 31 residents (62%) were symptomatic, nine residents (18%) pre-symptomatic whereas ten residents (20%) remained asymptomatic. The 30-day mortality rate from hospitalization was 32% and significantly higher in symptomatic residents at admission when compared to asymptomatic residents including pre-symptomatic residents (48% [95% CI: 27–63%] versus 5% [95% CI: 0–15%], p=0.006). The Early Warning Score (EWS) at admission was associated with 30-day mortality: high risk: 100%, intermediate risk: 50% (95% CI: 0–78%), and low risk: 21% (95% CI: 7-32%) (p<0.001). In light of comparably low mortality rates between asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic hospitalized COVID-19-positive residents, we suggest the supply of comparable intensity and quality of monitoring and care in long-term care facilities as an alternative to immediate hospitalization upon a positive COVID-19 test in asymptomatic residents.
- Subjects
LONG-term care facilities; COVID-19; COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19 testing; DEATH rate
- Publication
GeroScience, 2021, Vol 43, Issue 4, p1877
- ISSN
2509-2715
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11357-021-00352-y