This is true. A seasonal rise in cases of respiratory diseases like COVID-19 and the flu is expected, with more cases in the fall and winter months. COVID-19 cases in nursing homes have increased by 392% from July to November. Nursing home residents are at a higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 but vaccination can help protect against severe sickness, hospitalization and death. CDC data shows that 31% of nursing home residents and 7% of staff have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

While COVID-19 cases occur year-round, the fall and winter months have seen a seasonal increase in cases. This also happens with other respiratory diseases like RSV and the flu. The reasons for this are varied but include increased time spent inside and an increase in spread from holiday travel.

COVID-19 cases in nursing homes nationwide were 13,317 the week of November 26th compared to just over 14,000 cases in the same week of last year. Summer cases this year hovered around 4,000 and began to rise the last week in July. The number of cases is still small compared to numbers early on in the pandemic.

The strains of COVID-19 that are circulating today are different from the strains that were most common when the older COVID-19 vaccines and boosters were made. The new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine can help protect against serious illness from the variants that are most common this year.

Staying up to date on vaccines is one way that visitors and staff can help protect nursing home residents from getting seriously ill with COVID-19. Other measures include masking, social distancing, and postponing a visit if feeling sick.

Monitoring efforts for COVID-19 have decreased, and it is harder to tell how widespread certain variants are and how they might affect cases this fall and winter.