No retests to give nursing home staff and residents the all-clear
A NURSING home that suffered a Covid-19 outbreak has been told there are no plans for retesting to have staff and residents confirmed negative for the virus.
Last week the HSE completed the mass testing of 28,000 residents and 30,000 staff across all 577 nursing homes in the State.
It found confirmed or suspected coronavirus outbreaks in 371 or 64pc of nursing homes.
In correspondence seen by the Irish Independent, one nursing home operator submitted a list of previously Covid-positive residents and staff for retests to make sure they no longer had the virus.
But a HSE community health representative said “the current algorithm does not include retesting of previously positive residents”.
In a follow-up email, a specialist in public health medicine told the nursing home there is “no public health indication” for re-testing.
The specialist added: “Many tests remain positive due to viral shredding. In the event of patients remaining symptomatic I suggest they have a clinical review by their GP.”
Several residents have died from Covid-19 at the facility, which is now “coming out the other end of the outbreak”.
Tests were first carried out in the facility about six weeks ago and then more recently during the HSE’s blanket testing blitz.
This week, however, when the nursing home asked to have staff and residents who had previously tested positive retested, the advice was for those who are still showing symptoms to go through a GP.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, the nursing home operator said he was now left with “no way of knowing if the positive resident with no symptoms has recovered or not”.
The HSE was contacted yesterday but did not respond to queries regarding the correspondence, or the issue of retesting in nursing homes, at the time of going to press.
Earlier this week, health watchdog Hiqa said there needs to be “an articulated plan” for retesting to get staff confirmed negative and back to work as nursing homes were still experiencing details in getting results.
Last week Hiqa began on-the-ground assessments of nursing homes which have not yet had a Covid-19 outbreak.
The exercise was undertaken to “support nursing homes to prepare for an outbreak and put in place appropriate contingency plans to deal with same,” according to the regulator.
On Monday, the HSE said outbreaks of the coronavirus in long-term residential settings, including nursing homes, are coming under control with the number in the “red zone” down to 56.
The red zone signals that the centre is an ongoing source of concern and in need of substantial extra supports.
Mass testing in nursing homes was rolled out last month in response to growing numbers of outbreaks.
However, testing turnaround times are still a huge issue for operators, according to a recent survey by Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI).
Some 233 private and voluntary nursing homes took part in the survey, which was undertaken by NHI on May 6.
Of the nursing homes surveyed about testing, only 1.5pc received their results within 24 hours, while 4pc received them within two days. Some 4.5pc were waiting longer than 10 days, while 24.5pc were waiting six to nine days.
“Timely turnaround of testing is absolutely vital to enable nursing homes to implement required contingency measures,” said NHI chief executive Tadhg Daly.
“Mass testing has been a welcome development, but we cannot leave nursing homes in limbo as they strive to manage in unprecedented circumstances. Tests from nursing home residents and staff must be top of the queue.”