Recent research supported by the National Institute of Ageing (NIA) and published last Jan. 4th, 2021 in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that “Cognitive impairment, along with age, gender, chronic medical conditions, and physical limitations, is linked to a higher risk of death among nursing home residents with COVID-19“.
It is clear that the COVID-19 outbreak has had a severe impact on nursing homes in the USA and internationally, especially due to factors such as communal living or confined setting. A team of scientists at Brown University launched research in order to analyse the relationship between resident-specific characteristics and death in the first 30 days after testing positive for COVID-19.
The result demonstrated that residents affected by COVID-19 and moderate to severe cognitive limitation we more likely to die than those with no cognitive impairment.
By identifying the highest risk groups in nursing homes, the findings of this research may enable more calibrated prevention practices and provide insights to reduce fatality rates for such population.
If you wish to find out more about this study, please visit the NIA website.