"Like Fire Through Dry Grass": Nursing Home Mortality and COVID-19 Policies Exposed

The devastating impact of COVID-19 on elderly individuals in nursing homes has been a tragic consequence of misguided policies, driven by political agendas rather than science. Chairman Brad Wenstrup of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic revealed the horrors of "must-admit" orders issued by states like New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, which led to the deaths of over 35,000 vulnerable Americans. These orders, contrary to federal guidance, required nursing homes to admit COVID-19 positive patients, putting the lives of residents at risk.

Key Takeaways:

• The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance on March 13, 2020, directing nursing homes to only accept COVID-19 positive patients if they could do so "safely" and follow CDC isolation and quarantine guidance.
• However, states like New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania implemented "must-admit" orders, disregarding this guidance and exposing the elderly to the highly transmissible virus.
• As a result, over 35,000 nursing home deaths were attributed to these policies, with New York suffering over 15,000 fatalities, Pennsylvania over 12,500, and New Jersey over 9,000.
• The true death toll was concealed by state officials, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, who underreported nursing home deaths by approximately 50 percent.
• Cuomo's administration was found to have "frozen" nursing home deaths data, and the Governor threatened retaliation against those who refused to participate in the cover-up.
• The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic aims to hold those responsible for these deadly policies accountable and provide transparency for the families of the victims.

Statistics:

• Over 35,000 nursing home deaths attributed to "must-admit" orders (according to choice)
• New York suffered over 15,000 nursing home fatalities, Pennsylvania over 12,500, and New Jersey over 9,000 (according to sources)
• 200 veterans died at state-run veterans' homes in New Jersey as a result of COVID-19 (source)
• 89 deaths at a single veterans' home in Paramus, New Jersey, were described as a "horror show" (source)
• 17 bodies were stored in a "makeshift morgue" in a nursing home in Andover, New Jersey (source)

Sources:

• Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-02)
• United States House of Representatives
• "Fact-Based" review of State responses to the pandemic (as quoted by Chairman Wenstrup)
• New York State Attorney General Letitia James' investigative report on COVID-19 Nursing Home policies
• Cuomo's administration underreported nursing home deaths by approximately 50 percent (source)
• Governor Cuomo threatened retaliation against Assemblyman Ron Kim for not participating in the cover-up (source)