1 in 5 nursing homes had severe PPE and staffing shortages during the pandemic

Around 1 in 5 nursing homes in the U.S. have faced a severe shortage of personal protective equipment or staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research. Researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 nursing homes that submitted data spanning mid-May to mid-June, and separately, mid-June to mid-July. Across both time periods, around 20% of nursing homes reported shortages in PPE, including N95 masks and gowns, and said they had a supply that would last a week or less at the time of reporting data. Around 21% also reported shortages in staff, including nurses and nursing aides. For-profit institutions and those facilities that reported Covid-19 cases among staff and residents were more likely to report PPE shortages, while government-owned institutions and those with a higher proportion of residents on Medicare were likelier to be understaffed.