A data linkage approach to assessing the contribution of hospital-associated SARS-CoV-2 infection to care home outbreaks in England, 30 January to 12 October 2020
Investigation suggests COVID-19 positive patients discharged from hospital accounted for a small proportion of all care home outbreaks (1.6% [n=97 of 5882]). Results of investigation are to be submitted to the Public Accounts Committee.
Source:
Public Health England
SPS commentary:
This investigation on care homes that received COVID-19 positive patients discharged from hospital, and subsequently experienced an outbreaks was instigated at the request of DHSC and SAGE subgroup.
According to a BMJ news report, experts consider these data limited in terms of what it measured and that it probably significantly underestimates the policy’s impact on deaths in care homes. The Health Foundation said that 27,179 excess deaths had occurred among care home residents since the start of the pandemic, representing a 20% increase on recent years, and 9571 excess deaths were reported among people receiving domiciliary care since 11 April 2020, a 62% increase. It noted that central government support for social care in England during the first wave of the pandemic had been “too slow and limited,” with inadequate protection for people using and providing care.