Nursing homes, coronavirus and the future of elder care

At least 54,000 residents and workers at nursing homes and other elder-care facilities have died of COVID-19 in the United States, according to data compiled by the New York Times in late June. The U.S. has more deaths connected to nursing homes than any country other than Brazil has in total.

COVID-19 has proved to be especially dangerous for the elderly. People over 65 represent more than three-quarters of America’s nearly 131,000 coronavirus deaths. The age of nursing home residents, combined with the ease with which the virus spreads in communal spaces, has led to devastating outbreaks. Some facilities have been connected to more than 70 deaths.

Across the U.S., there are about 1.4 million people living in nursing homes. Though their residents make up less than 1 percent of the country’s population, nursing homes account for more than 40 percent of America’s COVID-19 deaths. The fatality rate for nursing home residents who contract the virus is more than three times the national average, according to the New York Times.