Elderly people with underlying medical conditions are the most at risk of dying from COVID-19. They also are the men and women most likely to be residents of nursing homes.

Experience during the past couple of weeks has demonstrated that outbreaks in nursing homes can serve as beach heads for the coronavirus to spread throughout communities. In King County, Washington, the COVID-19 death toll stood at 144 as of Tuesday.

King County became a bulls-eye for COVID-19 after an outbreak at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland. At last report, 35 residents and staff members there had succumbed to the virus.

Similar nursing home outbreaks have occurred in other states. That makes it clear that, both for the sake of those who live in such facilities and to forestall community-wide outbreaks, special attention needs to be given to nursing homes and assisted care centers.

Availability of testing kits to determine whether people have contracted COVID-19 remains a concern — including here in the Adirondacks. There simply are not enough to serve basic public health needs.

An investigation of what happened at the Life Care Center indicates that nursing homes and assisted care facilities should be among the top priorities for test kits.

Here in the Adirondacks, testing kits are so scarce that testing is restricted only to those sick enough for hospitals to admit them as inpatients. In general around the U.S., testing has been limited to people who display symptoms of COVID-19. Those symptoms include shortness of breath, respiratory problems, fever and fatigue.

But we know that many people are carrying and transmitting the virus without showing any symptoms. That could include elder-care facility staff members.

A report on the Washington nursing home indicates that once even a single case of COVID-19 surfaces, all those at an elder-care facility should assume a significant rate of infection exists. Special precautions are indicated, such as isolating some patients and use of protective gear by staff.

To that we add this: If at all possible, nursing homes and assisted care facilities everywhere should be closed to the public — such as they already are here in the Tri-Lakes area — and everyone who is allowed to enter one should be tested for COVID-19.

Lives were lost at the Life Care Center because drastic measures were not taken soon enough. Treating every elder-care facility as a COVID-19 hot zone could save lives.

But we also know that with that comes great hardship for the residents, especially those with dementia who cannot understand why they cannot see the people they love. Staff and families must do whatever they can to foster safe remote connections and stave off loneliness — and the rest of us may just need to pray this all ends as safely and quickly as possible.