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This podcast draws on the Residential Aged Care Communiqué published in May 2020 and we again examine the COVID-19 pandemic on aged care. Australia has one of the lowest rates of infection and deaths around the world. However, the proportion of deaths of aged care residents is about 30% of all deaths from COVID-19 in Australia—which is similar to what is being seen internationally.
We are at risk of becoming complacent and underestimate the true scale of the problem. In this podcast we provide the questions to ask in better understanding outbreaks of COVID-19 in aged care, debate whether it is preferable to transfer of residents to an acute hospital. We also explore why more than the usual infection control techniques are needed.
In this episode:
Editorial
Lessons could be learned by reviewing COVID-19 outbreaks
For debate: options for clinical settings to manage residents infected with COVID-19
International experiences in long term care
Reasons aged care homes are a high-risk setting for COVID-19 outbreaks
More than standard techniques are required for prevention of infection
Past RAC Communiqué editions relevant to responding to COVID-19 pandemic
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