Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness
May 22, 2020
Universal and Serial Laboratory Testing for SARS-CoV-2 at a Long-Term Care Skilled Nursing Facility for Veterans — Los Angeles, California 2020
Category: Article Summary
Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice
- In March 2020, two residents of a long-term care skilled nursing facility in the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System tested positive for COVID-19. Subsequently, all residents underwent serial (approximately weekly) nasopharyngeal PCR testing and all clinical and nonclinical staff were screened through April 10. Positive test results were found in 19 of 99 (19%) residents and 8 of the 136 (6%) staff. Fourteen of the 19 residents infected residents were asymptomatic for COVID-19 at the time of testing, among whom 8 developed symptoms after specimen collection.
- No further cases were identified on subsequent testing, representing successful containment of the outbreak through case detection by serial PCR testing.
Dora et al. (2020). Universal and Serial Laboratory Testing for SARS-CoV-2 at a Long-Term Care Skilled Nursing Facility for Veterans — Los Angeles, California 2020. MMWR. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6921e1