I have visited friends and relatives in aged care homes a deal over the the last few years and have seen practices that would increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This will be particularly important as countries open up and staff and visitors who may be double vaccinated become carriers of COVID-19. Aged Care residents will tend to have poor immune systems and may not have the needed levels of antibodies.
- Workers removing their masks, leaning close to the resident and talking loudly or shouting, as some are fairly deaf. All three increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission. A simple solution is to give all workers a simple battery microphone and speaker – perhaps with a hearing aid loop, so they can keep their masks on, keep a safer distance and don’t raise their voice.
- Wearing their face mask under their nose and wearing their mask with the ear loops crossed. Wearing under the nose is very common and obviously greatly reduces the protection. Wearing the ear loops crossed pulls the corners of the mask together and greatly reduces the seal to the face.
- In common areas, keeping external widows and doors closed. Far better, unless the weather is atrocious, to allow as much extra outside ventilation as possible. It makes a dramatic difference to aerosol levels and has been well documented.
