Is the spread of coronavirus in care homes inevitable?

Care homes have been hit hard by COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 is having a devastating impact on the United Kingdom. There are now more than 120,000 confirmed cases here, and more than 16,000 deaths from the virus. While we are presented with these kinds of figures on a daily basis from the government, some which have been omitted from daily counts are the number of COVID-19 deaths in care homes. A recent report suggested that as many as 7,500 care home residents have passed away as a result of the virus. Last week, a carer told us anonymously of the conditions that residents, themselves and their colleagues have been subjected to during the pandemic. Jason Leitch is Scotland's National Clinical Director. He spoke to JOE about the difficult in shielding society's most vulnerable from the coronavirus, who often require close contact nursing, and why the UK's care system needs to become a higher priority.