Conflicting COVID Messages Create Cloud Of Confusion Around Public Health And Prevention

Regina Fargis didn't know what to do.

Fargis runs Summit Hills - a health and retirement community in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that offers skilled nursing, activities and communal meals for its residents, most of whom are over 60, the highest-risk category for coronavirus complications. In South Carolina, more than a hundred new cases were emerging daily. So she took precautions: no visitors, hand sanitizer everywhere and regular reminders for residents about the importance of social distancing.

For a time, it worked. Many similar facilities were hit hard by the virus, but Summit Hills remained COVID-free. Summit Hills' first cases didn't emerge until mid-June. Three residents and four employees have now tested positive and are being quarantined. For months, though, Fargis was able to protect her residents.

https://khn.org/news/conflicting-covid-messages-create-cloud-of-confusion-around-public-health-and-prevention/