Laguna Honda’s COVID-19 Outbreak Offers Lessons for Other Long-Term Care Homes
This week San Francisco health officials have begun testing everyone at skilled nursing facilities for COVID-19, beginning with the county-run Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, where an early outbreak has amassed 21 cases of the virus among patients and staff.
It could have been much worse. In early March, positive cases climbed rapidly at the facility, which serves hundreds of patients who are poor, old and vulnerable. But in the last month they’ve leveled off. To date, most cases of the coronavirus associated with the facility are among staff, and the health department reports the currently sick as being in good condition.
Mayor London Breed has heralded the advent of universal testing at San Francisco’s 21 long-term care facilities. But health officials say they’ve stemmed the Laguna Honda outbreak with a combination of public health interventions, some common, but uncommonly applied in this context.
Cumulative COVID-Related Resident Deaths/COVID-19 Positive Residents = Percentage
Kei-Ai Los Angeles: 105/230 = 45.6%
Laguna Honda Hosp & Rehab: <11/67 = 16.4%
