Point-of-Care Chest Ultrasonography as a Diagnostic Resource for COVID-19 Outbreak in Nursing Homes.

The study did not compare this approach with usual care, so it cannot show that bedside chest ultrasonography improved patient outcomes or reduced hospital admission. Residents were included only if a nursing home physician was already considering hospital referral for specialist evaluation and CT testing, so the findings do not apply to all nursing home residents with respiratory symptoms. The supplied text reports probable diagnosis after integrating ultrasonography with clinical data and personal history, not confirmed SARS-CoV-2 test results. A negative chest image does not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in early phases, so normal ultrasonography should not be treated as a substitute for clinical examination or testing. The ultrasound was performed by a hospital team with geriatric and chest ultrasonography experience, so the feasibility may not transfer to settings without that training. The study included 83 residents from 5 nursing homes during April 2 to April 9, 2020, in a setting chosen because some residents required hospital admission for COVID-19, so it may not represent stable nursing home populations.

Do not conclude that bedside chest ultrasonography rules out SARS-CoV-2 infection or improves outcomes. A negative scan does not exclude infection, and this descriptive study did not compare the approach with usual care.