This occurs since nursing home residents are typically older individuals with high levels of chronic impairment or illness, making it easier for them to fall prey to serious complication or mortality due to the virus. In addition, nursing homes tend to have residents live in close quarters to each other, making it extremely difficult for quarantining of sick patients and the prevention of the spread of the virus within this setting. To add to this, nursing home caregivers often move from room to room taking care of patients, which makes it very hard for them to control the spread of the virus considering the acute PPE shortages nationwide. A majority of caregivers are not paid for sick leave, increasing the likelihood that they will continue to work even if they are sick and the chances of the virus spreading even more (Barnett). This has already been observed in the spread of other diseases and is best personified by the norovirus outbreak in the United States from 2009-2012. Of all of these outbreaks over this time period, 80% occurred in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes (Hall et. al). This exemplifies how the conditions within nursing homes are conducive to spreading viruses, not stopping them. 

In addition, these findings also suggest that as time goes on, more and more caregivers will get sick as well as senior home residents. There is already a shortage of healthcare workers globally, so unless something is done it will effectively nullify the workforce that is able to effectively take care of the elderly population within nursing homes. This would amplify hospital overcrowding even more than it already is, and possibly overwhelm the healthcare system.This has been recognized by the CDC, who have had the foresight to publish safety guidelines on how long-term care facilities such as nursing homes should operate in order to prevent such a scenario from happening. Their recommendations include comprehensive testing, assigning management of nursing operations to an individual trained in infection prevention and control, educating residents about COVID-19, etc (Preparing for COVID-19). If nursing homes stick to these guidelines, the chances of the pandemic overwhelming them and significantly worsening the situation at hand will be reduced dramatically.