Seroprevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Among Skilled Nursing Facility Residents and Staff Members-Los Angeles County, August-September 2020.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of current or past coronavirus disease 2019 in skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents is unknown because of asymptomatic infection and constrained testing capacity early in the pandemic. We conducted a seroprevalence survey to determine a more comprehensive prevalence of past coronavirus disease 2019 in Los Angeles County SNF residents and staff members. METHODS: We recruited participants from 24 facilities; participants were requested to submit a nasopharyngeal swab sample for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and a serum sample for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All participants were cross-referenced with our surveillance database to identify persons with prior positive SARS-CoV-2 results. RESULTS: From 18 August to 24 September 2020, we enrolled 3305 participants (1340 residents and 1965 staff members). Among 856 residents providing serum samples, 362 (42%) had current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of the 346 serology-positive residents, 199 (58%) did not have a documented prior positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result. Among 1806 staff members providing serum, 454 (25%) had current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of the 447 serology-positive staff members, 353 (79%) did not have a documented prior positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result. CONCLUSIONS: Past testing practices and policies missed a substantial number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in SNF residents and staff members.

The Landscape of Career and Technical Education Faculty Data Use for Decision-Making and Program Improvement in National Science Foundation-Advanced Technical Education Programs in Washington State

Over the last ten years, in Washington community and technical colleges (CTC) there has been a great leap forward in access and use of data for setting and measuring goals, monitoring progress, and identifying equity gaps. Despite much progress, faculty members in career and technical education (CTE) programs still often have difficulty accessing and using data that would drive program improvements. The purpose of this research is to gain knowledge about the current state of affairs surrounding technical education faculty access to and use of student-level data;second, we seek to shed light on the constraints CTE faculty face in accessing and using data for data-informed decision making. Our research revealed much variation in faculty access and use of data, with some creating customized solutions for daily use and others only accessing data for external needs such as accreditation or mandated program review processes. While the need for data may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, faculty report data use on campus has dropped during the crisis and been replaced by immediate concerns over financial health, enrollment and instructional delivery challenges. Rather than continue to advance data-driven decision-making, we may be seeing colleges retrench to past organizational norms and customs.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infections Among Healthcare Workers, Los Angeles County, February-May 2020.

Across the world, healthcare workers (HCW) are at a greater risk of infection by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to the nature of their work. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LAC DPH) set out to understand the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare facilities and HCWs by tracking and analyzing data from case-patient interviews of HCWs. As of 31 May, over 3 months into the pandemic, nearly 5500 positive HCWs were reported to LAC DPH, representing 9.6% of all cases. Cases reported working in 27 different setting types, including outpatient medical offices, correctional facilities, emergency medical services, and so forth, with the highest proportion from long-term care facilities (46.6%) and hospitals (27.7%). Case patients included both clinical and nonclinical roles, with nearly half (49.4%) of positive HCWs being nurses. Over two-thirds of HCWs (68.6%) worked at some point during their infectious period, and nearly half (47.9%) reported a known exposure to a positive patient and/or coworker within their facility. Overall, compared to all LAC cases, HCWs reported lower rates of hospitalization (5.3% vs 12.2%) and death (0.7% vs 4.3%) from COVID-19. There are many factors that increase HCWs risk of infection, including high-risk work environment, limited supply of personal protective equipment, and even pressure to help and work during a pandemic. In response to these data, LAC DPH created resources and provided guidance for healthcare facilities to best protect their patients and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.