Katersky said many of those added to the Covid death count died in nursing homes, or adult care facilities, or in their own homes.
New York State is one of 13 states tracking coronavirus deaths in nursing homes. "The New York State Health Department now reveals that 3,000 people died in nursing homes across the state," said Katersky. "They put out new data Tuesday to show that about a quarter of all coronavirus deaths in the state occurred in nursing homes."
Why are those numbers so large? Part of it may have to do with an elderly population and underlying medical conditions. Also, a lot of nurses aides are testing positive. They are around multiple patients a day, often in intimate settings.
Katersky said some experts in Geriatric Care are not confident in the safety of nuring homes. "Dr. Imran Ali at the UConn Center on Aging gave startling advice, saying if you can take your loved one out of a nursing home for the duration of the pandemic, you should do it." That goes against previous recommendations.
The revised count puts New York State's coronavirus death toll close to 15,000.