separate home to recuperate until they test
negative will change the infection rate within
nursing homes, but Connecticut officials say it
has helped open hospital beds. State officials
said about more than 100 patients had been
discharged to recovery homes.
The nine homes are expected to free up about
800 beds. The longer plan is to contract with
more nursing home operators and have 1,175
beds in COVID-19 recovery homes, state health
officials said.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild
or moderate symptoms, and the vast majority
recover. For some others, especially older adults
and people with existing health problems, it can
cause more severe illness, including pneumonia,
or death.
Over 10,000 deaths have been linked to
coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and
other long-term care centers nationwide. In
Connecticut, 43% of the more than 1,700 people
who have died of COVID-19 were from nursing
homes. Of about 215 nursing homes in the state,
135 have at least one case, the state reported.
Initially, Connecticut officials intended simply to
move residents sick with COVID-19, who were
already being kept away from others within
their nursing homes, to a few homes designated
for them. But then it emerged that people
can be infected for 48 hours before exhibiting
symptoms — so moving people to a different
home could actually abet the spread.
The state then tweaked the concept,
designating the specialized homes primarily for
residents who have the disease but improved
enough to leave the hospital — freeing up