Asymptomatic Spread of COVID-19 in 97 Patients at a Skilled Nursing Facility

There are roughly 16,000 nursing homes in the United States caring for more than 1.5 million individuals. This population is at high risk for morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2,1 with early reports suggesting a COVID-19 case fatality rate of 15% to 20% for those older than 80.1,2 Unfortunately, outbreaks in nursing homes are being reported with increased frequency and with significant associated mortality.3–5 The unclear rate of asymptomatic carriers complicates the situation,4,6 allowing potential transmission among this high-risk population for substantial time before active infection can be identified.