The European Region has 1,251,458 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections as of April 23. Deaths in the region are now at 113,336. Of the latter, almost 50% of those deaths were elderly in long-term facilities.
The trend is an "unimaginable human tragedy," as described by Dr. Hans Henri Kluge. He is the regional director for Europe for the World Health Organization.
Kluge said those who are dying in nursing homes have the same rights for medical attention. Their symptoms should be managed accordingly and should be surrounded by their loved ones. The latter seemed to hint that these elderly are dying alone, left to fend on their own on their death beds.
Kluge said the situation is alarming given that the elderly are known since the start to be particularly vulnerable to the virus. Most of the seniors in the nursing home suffer a degenerative disease and suffer a mental disability that makes them forget even the simplest personal hygiene. What made it worst for them is that they are no longer visited by family and friends. To some extent, some are even facing abuse and neglect from their caregivers.
Kluge reminded all concerned countries that seniors have a good chance of recovery if they are well-cared for.
Take for example the case of 104-year-old Vera Mueller from Minnesota, US. She could become the oldest person to have survived the virus in the country. Such is the case as well with a 97-year-old woman in South Korea.
Kluge has therefore called for Europe's public sector to leave no behind in the fight against the virus.
"This pandemic has shone a spotlight on the overlooked and undervalued corners of our society... It is our duty to leave no one behind. We must step up," Kluge highlighted.
In Italy, authorities claim that nursing homes could be guilty of malpractices at a number of facilities. Recently, the country was shocked to find 200 deaths at the 1,000-bed Pio Albergo Trivulzio in Milan.
However, another factor to be looked into is that early measures for preventing virus exposures of seniors include restricting visitors to nursing homes. Such is the case in France, where President Emmanuel Macron urged people to stop visiting their elderly relatives in assisted living facilities.
In Spain, reports are out that deaths in nursing homes are not included in its reported number of COVID-19 facilities. Estimates suggest the 10 to 20% of the elderly in nursing homes are now infected.
In Britain, the nonprofit National Care Forum estimates that the elderly and people with disabilities comprised 4,000 of the country's COVID-19 deaths.
In Germany, it is estimated that one-third of the country's deaths are residents of nursing homes.
In Belgium, there could be more than 50% of its 6,450 recorded deaths were in assisted living facilities. There could also be 95% deaths that could be related to COIVD-19 but patients were not tested fr the virus.
