The Most Important Coronavirus Statistic: 43% Of U.S. Deaths Are From Nursing Homes & Assisted Living Facilities (0.6% Of The Population)

The debate rages on about the ongoing lockdowns and the devastating effects on the U.S. economy. Now, according to a new analysis conducted for the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, an astounding 43% of all COVID-19 deaths have taken place in nursing homes and assisted living facilities that house 0.62% of the U.S. population. The analysis is based on data reported by 39 states as of May 22.

The startling statistic has profound implications for the way we’ve managed the coronavirus pandemic. In other words, the U.S could potentially reduce almost of half of all the coronavirus death simply by putting proper measures in place to control the spread of the virus to seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

For instance, Florida has low deaths in nursing home facilities after prohibiting coronavirus patients from those facilities. The state also put in place mandatory screenings of nursing home staff and vendors very early to reduce the number of those high-risk individuals who have tested positive.

Currently, 2.1 million Americans, representing 0.62% of the U.S. population, reside in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.The share of deaths occurring in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is highest in Minnesota, at 81 percent, using the latest data as of May 22, 2020. Data from May 12 is represented below, as a way of illustrating trends. New Jersey and Ohio changed the way they reported nursing home deaths in the intervening period; New Jersey began to exclude non-lab-confirmed COVID deaths, while Ohio started to include nursing home deaths prior to April

Nursing homes are residences for seniors needing help with activities of daily living, such as taking a shower or getting dressed, who also require 24/7 medical supervision; assisted living facilities are designed for seniors who need help with activities of daily living, but don’t require full-time on-site medical supervision.