A VA Medical building with the American Flag (Photo: Getty)
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Aug. 27 that new policies aimed at reducing the infection rate of COVID-19 at its health care facilities have thus far been successful. The infection rate among VA patients and employees currently sits at less than 1% nationally, which the VA notes is “much lower than other health care systems.”
COVID-19 testing capabilities at VA facilities throughout the country have dramatically improved as well. In March, the VA was only able to provide approximately 631 tests per day; however, that number has increased to upwards of 6,300 tests per day. Testing has allowed health care workers to make informed decisions on how to keep the infection from spreading in facilities.
The VA cites containment measures it began implementing back in March, such as full PPE gear and limited visitation, as well as virtual screening services it started using in June as the reason for this current success.
Breaking Down Veteran Infection Rates in California
In California, CalVet reported considerable success in maintaining exceptionally low infection numbers in the eight Veterans Homes throughout the state, noting on Aug. 21 that only one resident was currently infected, in addition to only 15 employees. As recently as July, those numbers were only slighter higher, indicating a positive handle at Veterans Homes on a public health crisis that continues to hit the country hard.
As for the VA health care system in California, the VA reported that as of Aug. 27, California only had 238 active cases among its veteran population compared to 357 in Texas and 362 in Florida – states with smaller veteran and civilian populations. The VA defines active cases as those where patients have not been discharged from medical treatment.
The VA notes that anyone who feels sick should avoid contact with others and that veterans should contact their local VA health care facility upon experiencing symptoms.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.