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Recently, we have seen new cases of infection and deaths as a result of covid-19 in nursing homes in Vindafjord, Eidsvoll, Bergen, Drammen, Lillestrøm, Nesodden, Bærum and Oslo.
Villa Skaar Valstad nursing home in Eidsvoll is the worst affected nursing home in the second wave so far. All residents were infected and nine residents died. In the first wave, it was the Metodisthjemmet nursing home in Bergen that was hit the hardest. A total of 18 of the 24 infected residents died.
Touched
Prime Minister Erna Solberg was clearly moved when she responded to Dagbladet when asked what she thinks about us experiencing outbreaks and deaths in nursing homes in Norway again.
– I think it’s very sad. It is sad for all the family members, but also for those who work in the institutions, who have tried to maintain good infection control. It is very difficult to prevent vulnerable groups from encountering people who may be infected without being discovered, simply because we want care for the elderly to be personal and up close, not with a full infection control team, Solberg told Dagbladet. and continued:
– It is the case that people also live their life outside of work, in an ordinary environment where they have children and other people. Therefore, this is difficult. I think we should respect the fact that it is difficult for those who work with this and those who are responsible.
– You have to be careful
Solberg said he has called and spoken with both Villa Skaar Valstad and the Eidsvoll municipality this week, and understands that this affects those responsible. He also said that he visited the Methodist Home this spring.
– I think we have to make sure we don’t go looking for those responsible. There is a system for that: the Norwegian Board of Health. We must have some respect for the fact that this is perceived as very painful and difficult for everyone who works with this, those responsible and all family members.
– What is the main reason why you could not protect the most vulnerable this time?
– The review of individual cases by the Norwegian Board of Health must prove this. I think it’s important that we get the professional review, Solberg replied, continuing:
– I would like to remind you that there were many who thought that mistakes had been made in the Methodist Home, but then the Norwegian Board of Health came and said that they had followed the infection control rules that were in effect at that time. We must ensure that we wait for experts in the field to present their assessments.
High interventions
Then the Minister of Health Bent Høie intervened.
– I think it is important that we do not leave the impression that, in general, we have not been successful in this area. With the guidelines we have, in fact in Norway we have largely succeeded in protecting the vulnerable, Høie told Dagbladet and continued:
– It is very important that we are aware that when the infection is high in society, we are not able to eliminate the risk. So someone, regardless of the institution, just won’t be able to do it. And it’s not necessarily someone doing a bad job. But it is simply that when infection in society increases, the risk increases even with the measures we have introduced.
Høie concluded by stressing that measures must be proportionate.
– There will always be a compromise between protecting against infection, but at the same time not going so far that life becomes unmanageable for those who live in institutions, for their families and for those who work there.
