LAUSR

T he severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) pandemic has raised our awareness of the susceptibility of certain members of the population to this serious and often fatal infection. Across the globe, more than 5.8 million cases have been confirmed and more than 360,000 deaths reported as of the end of May 2020. Some areas have been particularly hard hit (the so-called epicenters of the pandemic) and certain populations within these epicenters have been particularly affected. Witness to this is those living in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). A report from King County, Washington, found that as of mid-March 2020 in one SNF, more than 100 residents became infected, with 55% requiring hospitalization with a case fatality of approximately 34%. Forbes magazine recently reported that 42% of the deaths from COVID-19 in the United States were in SNFs although they represent only 0.6% of the total