[Inspection and Improvement of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection Management in Nursing Homes in Seosan City, 2023]

In 2023, Seosan City and the Chungnam Center for Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention conducted onsite inspections of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection management in nursing homes within Seosan City. These inspections spanned approximately six months, from March to September 2023, targeting 14 nursing facilities, with two visits each. The initial round of inspections (March 17 to April 24, 2023) assessed the current state of COVID-19 infection management at each facility and proposed necessary improvements. Upon request from the facilities, infection management training and practice were provided. The inspections utilized the COVID-19 prevention and response checklist (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2021). Approximately 4-5 months later, the second round of inspections (August 1 to September 5, 2023) revisited the facilities using the same checklist to evaluate improvements in COVID-19 infection management and address deficiencies. The number of facilities with established COVID-19 response plans increased from three to nine following the initial and subsequent inspections. Improvements in designating personal protective equipment changing areas, establishing rapid treatment systems, preparing isolation rooms for potential COVID-19 patients, and separating the aisle and contaminated areas improved by 83.3%, 16.7%, and 16.7% respectively, compared to the first inspection. Ventilation in nursing facilities, relying solely on natural ventilation in 57.1% of cases, indicated the need for enhancements in air conditioning systems. Additionally, tailored infection management strategies that consider the characteristics of residents of the facility are necessary, particularly due to the low mask-wearing rate among residents (14.3% to 21.4%).