The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published on Tuesday 19 May a guide for States to develop a surveillance framework on Covid-19 in long-term care facilities (e.g., nursing homes or centres for the disabled).
This document provides guidance to EU Member States to implement surveillance systems in long-term care homes. Indeed, the Centre notes that, despite the high mortality rates recorded in these establishments, the lack of a specific surveillance system and the differences in screening strategies and capacities between Member States have led to “significant under-reporting and under-estimation of cases”.
The Commission welcomed this new publication, which follows, it points out in a press release, exchanges between Vice-President Dubravka Šuica, Commissioners Stella Kyriakides (Health and Food Safety), Nicolas Schmit (Jobs and Social Rights) and Helena Dalli (Equality) as well as representatives and users of these social services. The figures are indeed worrying. According to the Commission, 30-60% of all deaths related to Covid-19 are believed to have occurred in long-term care facilities.
To consult the ECDC publication: https://bit.ly/2yf72Mr (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)