Back
Asymptomatic care workers unknowingly spread coronavirus
Jun 3, 2020
Large numbers of staff could have been unknowingly spreading coronavirus through care homes, according to the UK's largest charitable care home provider.
Data from MHA shows 42% of its staff members who recently tested positive were not displaying symptoms.
Nearly 45% of residents who had a positive test were also asymptomatic.
MHA operates in England, Scotland and Wales and has fully tested staff and residents in 86 of its 90 homes so far.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Our priority is to ensure care workers and those receiving care are protected, and the latest statistics show over 60% of care homes have had no outbreak at all.
"We've set out a comprehensive support package for residents and staff, including a £600m infection control fund, testing regardless of whether you have symptoms, and a named clinical lead to support every care home.
"We recognise more must continue to be done, and have made £3.2bn available to local authorities to address additional pressures from coronavirus."
In total, 7% of MHA staff and 13% of residents received a positive test result.
Routine testing is not yet under way.
MHA CEO Sam Monaghan told BBC Newsnight: "It is not difficult to imagine that a lot of people may not have ended up dying if we'd had earlier testing and we'd been therefore better able to manage infection control in our homes."
9Shares
0Comments
0Favorites
2Likes
Say something to impress...
Loading...
Comments
Hot

No content at this moment.

Relevant people
BBC News
134121 Followers
News and more.
Related