In a recent study, medical experts from several universities and the Veterans Administration found that vulnerable older adults can mount an antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 and that antibodies are most likely to be detected within 15-30 days of diagnosis. That antibodies were detected in a large proportion of residents with no confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection highlights the complexity of identifying who is infected in real time. Frequent surveillance and diagnostic testing based on low thresholds of clinical suspicion for symptoms and/or exposure will remain critical to inform strategies designed to mitigate outbreaks in SNFs while community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence remains high.

We aren’t out of the woods yet. Scientists are working very hard at helping us maneuver through this pandemic maze. Residents in your center are placed in observation upon admission for a reason. Don’t let your guard down; they too can be asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19.

Stay the course, stay well, mask up, get vaccinated, and stay tuned!