A national survey on COVID-19 infection in Italian retirement homes for older adults and persons with disabilities.

INTRODUCTION

Older people and individuals with chronic illnesses living in long-term care facilities are at increased risk of infections due to the care setting, resulting in an increased probability of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing severe sequelae during the COVID-19 pandemic. To limit viral transmission, facilities adopted different policies according to national and regional prevention strategies, often reducing social contacts and promoting public health measures. We therefore conducted a national survey to investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection in Italian retirement homes for older adults and persons with disabilities (RHOAD).

METHODS

An online questionnaire investigating facility characteristics and COVID-19 impact between March 2023 and January 2024 was sent via email to Italian RHOAD.

RESULTS

Response from 510 RHOAD showed a trend in the percentage of COVID-19-positive individuals similar to that observed in Italy. An increase in cases was recorded in 2020, followed by a gradual decrease in 2021. Specific facility characteristics, such as a larger number of beds (80 or more vs. 0-20, OR 2.97, 95%CI 1.10-8.03), or challenges in transferring (OR 11.79, 95%CI 3.32-41.91) or isolating residents with COVID-19 (OR 4.43, 95%CI 2.13-9.22) or geographical location in the South (OR 0.17 95%CI 0.07-0.39) or Center (OR 0.39 95%CI 0.16-0.93) vs. North, were associated with an increased risk of having at least one COVID-19 case among residents in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Similarly, facilities reporting at least one COVID-19 case applied national prevention measures related to visitor access less strictly (OR 2.16 95%CI 1.06-4.38) and registered an increase of adverse events (OR 2.49 95%CI 1.17-5.27).

DISCUSSION: Our findings highlighted the challenges faced by Italian RHOAD during the pandemic and support the optimization of the RHOAD organization to prevent disease transmission.