Metro nursing homes taking precautions to protect the elderly from coronavirus

ATLANTA — One of the biggest groups of people being impacted by COVID-19, the coronavirus, is the elderly.

Most of the deaths so far in the United States have been elderly people at a nursing home in Washington state.

That is prompting nursing homes across Georgia to take extra precautions.

Doctors and researchers are finding the elderly and those with compromised immune systems have become the sickest from the virus.

Tony Marshall, the president and CEO of the Georgia Healthcare Association, which represents nursing homes in Georgia, says they've been advised to review and follow their prevention control plans.

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Also, they're told to monitor who is coming and going.

“No. 1 is that you are enforcing your current policies, which would include looking at individuals who would enter and visitors who might be infected in some manner, maybe exhibiting signs of respiratory illness," Marshall said.

So far, children don't appear to be getting seriously ill from the coronavirus. But they could carry it and put an older person at risk.

“The problem with kids is kids get it and then they take it to grandpa and grandma, actually get real sick and the mortality is higher,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, Emory Medical and Global Health professor.

Marshall said nursing homes are being advised to follow updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Georgia Healthcare Association is also monitoring the availability of protective gear for nursing home health care workers.

"So, should there be an outbreak in a center or a shortage of supply in one area, that we help to get supplies from other centers," Marshall said.

A board member of the Georgia Healthcare Association was in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, meeting with Vice President Mike Pence to talk about protecting the elderly from the virus.

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