Coronavirus: nursing homes emerge as South Korea’s new battleground for infections
- Experts have warned that hundreds of substandard long-term care facilities could serve as hotbeds for infection, just as they have in the US and Italy
- Many of these homes accommodate multiple patients and carers in small spaces, and lack personal protection equipment
More than 200 cases have been reported in these senior-care facilities, mirroring outbreaks reported in Italy and parts of the United States, such as the states of Washington and Florida.
“We’ve been warning all the time about nursing homes and other mass-residential facilities,” Kim Dong-hyun, the president of the Korean Society of Epidemiology told This Week in Asia. “This is a worrisome situation that complicates the country’s campaign against the virus.”
Wednesday’s number is similar to the 100 or more daily infections reported last week, but much lower than the 500 or so daily infections in the first week of this month.
Many nursing homes, which provide long-term residential care for elderly or disabled people, accommodate patients and untrained carers in small spaces. These facilities are often understaffed, with just one or two medical doctors assigned.
