CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New COVID-19 cases in North Carolina nursing homes have declined rapidly in recent weeks, according to state health officials.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday new infections at nursing facilities, adult care homes, and other long-term care facilities are down over 15-fold since their peak in January. This means most facilities currently meet the criteria to resume indoor visitation while following recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
DHHS said the sharp decrease in new cases can be linked to early vaccinations for seniors and residents of long-term care facilities. More than 205,000 vaccines have been administered to nursing home staff members and residents as part of Group 1 vaccinations.
The state's reason for prompt vaccination in these settings stemmed from the massive impact the coronavirus had on long-term care residents throughout the pandemic.
According to NCDHHS data, COVID-19 cases in nursing homes and residential care facilities make up about 6% of the state's total cases, but 44% of the state's COVID-19 deaths.
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"Protecting our residents and staff in long-term care has been a top priority in our pandemic response efforts and seeing cases decrease in these settings is heartening," said Secretary of NC DHHS Dr. Mandy Cohen. "I know it has been a long, difficult year for residents and families, but those measures saved lives and are now allowing us to resume safe, indoor visitation. While we need to continue infection prevention practices, this decrease is also a positive sign of the impact vaccinations have in our communities."
DHHS said while facilities may conduct visits at any time for residents with compassionate care needs, federal and state guidelines have additional criteria that must be met for any indoor visits. Those guidelines include having no new COVID-19 infections in the last 14 days.
As Senior Administrator of nursing home White Oak Manor of Charlotte, Amanda Pack can speak firsthand to how quickly and horrifyingly the virus can spread through a facility once it makes its way in.
"It's been the most terrifying thing I've dealt with in my nearly 40-year career," Pack said.
Pack said White Oak locked down to the outside world exactly one year ago and managed to stay outbreak-free for 10 months.
Then, coronavirus began to surge in the community over the holidays.
"As you saw the positivity rate going up, it became harder and harder to keep it out of the facility," Pack said.
The latest figures from NCDHHS show the facility suffered 181 cases among residents and staff, along with 27 deaths. A look at the state's list of ongoing congregate living clusters shows hundreds of other nursing homes and residential care facilities have been ravaged by the virus as well.
Now, the tables seem to be turning. With vaccination rates rising among this vulnerable group, the narrative has changed.
"The numbers of COVID positive have dropped--significantly," Pack said.
As some loosen restrictions on visitations, other nursing homes are choosing to not resume indoor visitations.
"For us, we're Mecklenburg County, densely populated area, we have an international airport right around the corner. So for us that makes it a little bit of a different scenario," said Leslie Workman the executive director for Charlotte Assisted Living and Memory Care. "We have responsibility for them (residents) to be well and we have not lost a single person to death from COVID-19."
Workman said their facility will have outdoor visitations and consider compassionate-care needs when a resident really needs it.
Although they will keep safety a top priority with outdoor visits, Workman sees loosening restrictions as a glimmer of hope.
"I would say there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We're very excited for that," Workman said.
The facility will be holding its third vaccination event for residents and staff, this Friday.
While COVID-19 cases for the general population are down sharply from January's peak, Mecklenburg County's public health director Gibbie Harris notes that long-term care settings have gone from more than 50% of the county's coronavirus-related deaths to 10% or less.
"I do believe the vaccines have had a part to play in that," Harris said. "We know that particular population has been vaccinated more than the rest of the population of Mecklenburg County."
It's an early sign of promise as even more people prepare to take their shots.
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"We've had 279 people total at White Oak of Charlotte get vaccinated," Pack said. "And they're all OK. It's OK to take that vaccine, and you're not just saving yourself, you're saving others."
NCDHHS reports more than 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been in administered across the state. More of 207,000 of those doses went to long-term care facilities.