Estimating SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in long-term care: a window of opportunity

Abstract

In the UK, USA, and Canada, the majority of deaths and a high proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) during the first waves of the pandemic. Administrative factors, such as poor infection control practices, overcrowding, and movement of staff between sites were associated with the likelihood of outbreaks in LTCFs,1 and excessive burnout among front-line staff2 probably played a role as well.3 Short-term and long-term planning and policy requires us to understand when and where infections occurred, which is particularly difficult to do in the LTCF population because the rate of asymptomatic infections is surprisingly high.