Nurse walking with resident

Three-Tiered Approach – Cohorting

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

Post-acute and long-term care skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are known to be high-risk environments for outbreaks including multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and respiratory viruses. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has led to multiple outbreaks in SNFs. In the absence of a vaccine or treatment, the primary resources available to SNFs to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, have included appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, and cohorting of residents. Outbreak investigations of SARS-CoV-2 at other SNFs demonstrated that pre-symptomatic as well as symptomatic spread likely contributed to rapid propagation of outbreaks and that use of only symptom-based testing and cohorting was insufficient.

In a recent study published in JAMDA, the research supports previous outbreak investigation studies that demonstrated asymptomatic individuals with positive tests. These results may be even more relevant in the resident population in SNFs which includes older residents who may exhibit more subtle signs of infection. To read about the study and the 3-tiered approach to cohorting, read the latest information available on JAMDA.

Stay the course, stay strong, stay well, mask up, and stay tuned!