July 14, 2020

Outcomes of Universal COVID-19 Testing Following Detection of Incident Cases in 11 Long-Term Care Facilities

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

• Among 11 Maryland long-term care facilities, universal testing detected 354 additional cases (40% of those tested) in addition to 153 cases previously identified via targeted symptom-based testing. Fifty-five percent of persons who tested positive were asymptomatic. Follow-up screening after 2-weeks identified an additional 117 SARS-CoV-2 cases, 87% of whom were asymptomatic. Follow-up screening after 2 weeks identified an additional 117 SARS-CoV-2 cases, 87% of whom were asymptomatic. The authors conclude that these findings suggest a potential benefit of more widespread testing in COVID-19 “hot spots.” 

Bigelow et al. (July 14, 2020). Outcomes of Universal COVID-19 Testing Following Detection of Incident Cases in 11 Long-Term Care Facilities. JAMA Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.3738