In the Bay Area alone, 97 skilled nursing facilities and 18 residential care homes for the elderly have reported outbreaks of COVID-19, KQED has found, part of a national trend that has seen the coronavirus taking a heavy toll on the frail and elderly, and creating stress and anxiety for their loved ones.
Statewide, as of May 31, at least 2,184 residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted living facilities have died of COVID-19, according to data reported by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Social Services. That total makes up around half of the state’s coronavirus deaths.
State health officials have acknowledged that published case and death totals are less than exact. COVID-19 cases and deaths are self-reported by facility representatives, and regulators do not systematically verify them. Where facilities report under 11 infections or related deaths, the totals are reported as “10 or fewer,” a practice the agencies say is necessary in order to protect patient privacy.
KQED Science has exclusively compiled an interactive map showing the exact locations of Bay Area nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have had coronavirus outbreaks, including the number of cases in each one. Check it out here.
— Julia Scott (@juliascribe)