Coronavirus: Hundreds of care home staff and residents could have undetected COVID-19

A Scottish care home boss says hundreds of staff and residents across the industry could be carrying coronavirus undetected because of “flawed” government advice.

Robert Kilgour, who runs 15 care homes, told Sky News their COVID-19 test results show a substantial number of staff and residents have tested positive without displaying symptoms.

This is in spite of a repeated insistence by the Scottish government that a test is only effective if someone is symptomatic.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has argued that tests on people without coronavirus symptoms are unreliable.

Mr Kilgour says the evidence indicates the government stance is putting lives at risk.

A number of his Renaissance Care homes were subject to mass testing, following instances of COVID-19.

When 233 residents without symptoms were tested, 25 (11%) were found to have the virus. Testing of 146 asymptomatic staff found that 9 (6%) were positive.

Mr Kilgour, executive chairman of the care home chain, told Sky News that if those figures are replicated across the sector, several hundred untested staff and residents could have the coronavirus without knowing it.

“People have, very sadly, died because of a lack of availability of testing in care homes,” he said.

“The question is whether or not the Scottish government regards these percentages as acceptable figures.

“The fact is, and these figures back it up, that routine mass testing should have been taking place in care homes long ago, symptoms or not.

“Our experience contradicts, to a substantial degree, what the Scottish government has said repeatedly – that there’s no point testing people who are asymptomatic. Demonstrably, that isn’t the case.

“Everyone makes mistakes. The Scottish government should admit that it’s dropped the ball on testing in care homes and that its policy is flawed.

The results from the care home chain appear consistent with a study by the University of Cambridge.

It swabbed and tested NHS staff at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Of more than 1,000 reporting fit for duty, 3% tested positive for coronavirus.

Currently, mass testing of staff and residents only takes place as part of “enhanced outbreak investigation” when a care home has had COVID-19 cases.

Otherwise, there is testing of staff and residents without symptoms in care homes without any cases, but only on a “sampling” basis.

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A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We are undertaking advanced outbreak investigation at care homes reporting cases of COVID-19.

“If cases are reported, all residents and staff will be tested, regardless of symptoms.

“We are also testing in linked institutions where care homes are part of a chain and staff move between locations.

“Sample testing is also taking place in homes where no cases have been reported.

“Our priority is to test for clinical reasons, for example those in hospitals or care homes, followed by key workers in our health and care system.

“Other key workers and their families have also been tested to enable them to return to work.

“In addition the First Minister has made clear that we are engaged in a significant expansion of testing capacity to support a test, trace, isolate approach and to expand surveillance will be a crucial part of any moves to lift the lockdown measures in the future.”

Nicola Sturgeon faced criticism at First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament for her government’s performance on care home testing.

The Scottish Conservatives have labelled it an “abject failure” and both Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens have called for every care home worker to be guaranteed a COVID-19.

New figures from the National Records of Scotland have shown again that more than half (57%) of deaths in Scotland occurred in care homes in the week 27 April to 3 May.

The weekly total of care home deaths had decreased for the second week running, from 314 to 238.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Scotland is 3,213.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Hundreds of care home staff and residents could have undetected COVID-19