Edited by: TJVNews.com
A new tally shows 2,246 people have died in nursing homes from the coronavirus in 24 states, as was reported by Fox News.
Fox News also indicated that the numbers were compiled by NBC News, which also reported that nearly 2,500 long-term care facilities in 36 states are battling coronavirus cases – an explosive 522 percent increase in just 10 days.
The numbers are incomplete because the federal government doesn’t keep a formal tally of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes or the number of facilities with infections, according to NBC News on Friday.
NBC News reported that the total dwarfs the last federal estimate on March 30 — based on “informal outreach” to state health departments — that more than 400 nursing homes had at least one case of the virus.
The full scale of the virus’ impact is even greater than NBC News’ tally, as key states including Florida did not provide data, and nursing homes across the United States are still struggling for access to testing.
NBC reported that nursing home residents are among those most likely to die from the coronavirus, given their advanced age and the prevalence of other health conditions.
Experts say more comprehensive data is critical to battling the virus and understanding why it is spreading faster in some nursing homes than others.
The report comes as The New York Times on Saturday reported equally disturbing numbers regarding coronavirus deaths at nursing homes in New York and New Jersey, as was reported by Fox News.
As of Friday, more than half of New York’s 613 licensed nursing homes had reported coronavirus infections, with 4,630 total positive cases and 1,439 deaths, the Times reported.
Fox News reported that in New Jersey, nursing homes had been linked to 252 virus-related deaths, more than 90 of them in the past two days, according to the paper. At least 70 percent of the state’s long care centers have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
In Florida, there have been 731 coronavirus cases in long-term care facilities, according to a Fox News tally Saturday. On March 22, there were only 30 such cases. Florida doesn’t track deaths.
Fox News also found that there have been coronavirus outbreaks at 47 nursing homes in Mississippi, at 29 nursing homes in North Carolina and at 10 nursing homes in Tennessee. There were 10 deaths at one Tennessee facility.
Separately, in Georgia, according to the Fox News report, the number of long-term care facilities with coronavirus outbreaks grew in seven days from 47 to 80 on Friday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
AP reported that members of the Florida National Guard have started on-the-spot testing of residents at nursing homes for the new coronavirus as long-term care facilities in the state have reported scores of cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday.
Guardsmen have conducted tests of residents and staff at nursing homes in South Florida and UF Health Shands has done other spot-testing at facilities, DeSantis said.
“We want to continue to do that, given that is the most high risk population,” the governor said.
AP reported that last month, DeSantis ordered a suspension of all visits to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and similar sites across the state.
As of Saturday evening, Florida had about 19,000 coronavirus cases and at least 446 deaths, according to the AP report.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, even death.
The governor also said Saturday that the state Department of Health has ordered serology tests that can detect coronavirus antibodies in people who aren’t currently sick, as was reported by AP.