tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Front Public Health
. 2026 Jun 30:14:1872101.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1872101. eCollection 2026.
A national survey on COVID-19 infection in Italian retirement homes for older adults and persons with disabilities
Alice Paggetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Maria Pani[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Patrizia Lorenzini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuela Salvi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Enrica Vignaroli[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Virginia De Silva[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Gilda Losito[SUP] 4 8 [/SUP], Ciro Tarantino[SUP] 9 10 [/SUP], Nicola Vanacore[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Domitilla Marconi[SUP] 11 [/SUP]; Italian RHOAD Study Group; Italian RHOAD Study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Introduction: Older people and individuals with chronic illnesses living in long-term care facilities are at increased risk of infections due to the care setting, resulting in an increased probability of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing severe sequelae during the COVID-19 pandemic. To limit viral transmission, facilities adopted different policies according to national and regional prevention strategies, often reducing social contacts and promoting public health measures. We therefore conducted a national survey to investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection in Italian retirement homes for older adults and persons with disabilities (RHOAD).
Methods: An online questionnaire investigating facility characteristics and COVID-19 impact between March 2023 and January 2024 was sent via email to Italian RHOAD.
Results: Response from 510 RHOAD showed a trend in the percentage of COVID-19-positive individuals similar to that observed in Italy. An increase in cases was recorded in 2020, followed by a gradual decrease in 2021. Specific facility characteristics, such as a larger number of beds (80 or more vs. 0-20, OR 2.97, 95%CI 1.10-8.03), or challenges in transferring (OR 11.79, 95%CI 3.32-41.91) or isolating residents with COVID-19 (OR 4.43, 95%CI 2.13-9.22) or geographical location in the South (OR 0.17 95%CI 0.07-0.39) or Center (OR 0.39 95%CI 0.16-0.93) vs. North, were associated with an increased risk of having at least one COVID-19 case among residents in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Similarly, facilities reporting at least one COVID-19 case applied national prevention measures related to visitor access less strictly (OR 2.16 95%CI 1.06-4.38) and registered an increase of adverse events (OR 2.49 95%CI 1.17-5.27).
Discussion: Our findings highlighted the challenges faced by Italian RHOAD during the pandemic and support the optimization of the RHOAD organization to prevent disease transmission.
Keywords: COVID-19; care homes; disability; long-term care; older people; preparedness.
. 2026 Jun 30:14:1872101.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1872101. eCollection 2026.
A national survey on COVID-19 infection in Italian retirement homes for older adults and persons with disabilities
Alice Paggetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Maria Pani[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Patrizia Lorenzini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuela Salvi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Enrica Vignaroli[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Virginia De Silva[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Gilda Losito[SUP] 4 8 [/SUP], Ciro Tarantino[SUP] 9 10 [/SUP], Nicola Vanacore[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Domitilla Marconi[SUP] 11 [/SUP]; Italian RHOAD Study Group; Italian RHOAD Study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 42454293
- PMCID: PMC13365346
- DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1872101
Introduction: Older people and individuals with chronic illnesses living in long-term care facilities are at increased risk of infections due to the care setting, resulting in an increased probability of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing severe sequelae during the COVID-19 pandemic. To limit viral transmission, facilities adopted different policies according to national and regional prevention strategies, often reducing social contacts and promoting public health measures. We therefore conducted a national survey to investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection in Italian retirement homes for older adults and persons with disabilities (RHOAD).
Methods: An online questionnaire investigating facility characteristics and COVID-19 impact between March 2023 and January 2024 was sent via email to Italian RHOAD.
Results: Response from 510 RHOAD showed a trend in the percentage of COVID-19-positive individuals similar to that observed in Italy. An increase in cases was recorded in 2020, followed by a gradual decrease in 2021. Specific facility characteristics, such as a larger number of beds (80 or more vs. 0-20, OR 2.97, 95%CI 1.10-8.03), or challenges in transferring (OR 11.79, 95%CI 3.32-41.91) or isolating residents with COVID-19 (OR 4.43, 95%CI 2.13-9.22) or geographical location in the South (OR 0.17 95%CI 0.07-0.39) or Center (OR 0.39 95%CI 0.16-0.93) vs. North, were associated with an increased risk of having at least one COVID-19 case among residents in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Similarly, facilities reporting at least one COVID-19 case applied national prevention measures related to visitor access less strictly (OR 2.16 95%CI 1.06-4.38) and registered an increase of adverse events (OR 2.49 95%CI 1.17-5.27).
Discussion: Our findings highlighted the challenges faced by Italian RHOAD during the pandemic and support the optimization of the RHOAD organization to prevent disease transmission.
Keywords: COVID-19; care homes; disability; long-term care; older people; preparedness.