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Isolation expected to continue for nursing home residents

Despite the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine to thousands of long-term care homes, facility residents are likely to see continued isolation from family and outside life over the coming months as facilities remain cautious of vaccine efficacy.

Tens of thousands of workers and residents at Kansas long-term care facilities will get vaccinated over the next three months. But families aching to visit after such a long separation may not have easy access to their loved ones for several more months at least.

“We will not be clicking our fingers and returning to normal,” said William Hanage, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University. “There is not a silver bullet.”

Even for young people, the new vaccines don’t offer a 100% guarantee against contracting coronavirus. And the shots may be less effective for older people.

That means nursing homes still need to be cautious by insisting workers and others who enter their buildings continue to don masks and diligently screen any visitors for the virus or possible signs of it.

As the broader public gets vaccinated and community transmission slows, that will lower the risks that even asymptomatic family members can unwittingly pose. Reaching that point will take several months, at least.