Silver Valley still coronavirus free
By CHANSE WATSON
Managing Editor
KELLOGG — Knock on wood, but it looks like there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.
As of Thursday, the Panhandle Health District reports that there have been no new COVID-19 cases diagnosed in the Idaho Panhandle within the last four days. This means that the total number of cases in North Idaho remains at 45 — 42 coming from Kootenai County and three from Bonner.
The other three panhandle counties of Shoshone, Boundary and Benewah continue their streak of being COVID-19 free (at least, officially).
While it is quite possible that there is/was a COVID-19 positive person in Shoshone County that has either gone untested and/or is asymptomatic, Dr. David Lawhorn with Shoshone Medical Center sees the prolonged flat lining of new cases in our neighboring counties as a huge positive sign.
“This implies that if we can hold the line for the next 14 to 21 days, it will be more and more good news,” he said. “Now is the time to continue strict measures regarding social contact, wearing PPE and sanitizing high-touch areas.”
While SMC has been conducting COVID-19 testing since the pandemic began and continues to administer them, the tests themselves still remain in high demand across the region.
In a previous COVID-19 update, Dr. Lawhorn and SMC nurse Andrea Garner explained that local tests are largely being reserved for those who exhibit symptoms, classify as “high-risk” and have a doctor’s order to be tested.
“We are not a testing site,” Garner said in a previous interview. “If they meet the criteria (to be tested) through Panhandle Health and their primary care physician, we can test, but we are not a walk-in testing site.”
Until more kits become available, the majority of the tests are being reserved for and used on individuals that classify as high-risk, such as the elderly and/or people with preexisting conditions. Around 80% of those who contract COVID-19 show little or no symptoms, even after the 2-14 day exposure period.
According to PHD, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. People have reported mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
As for the number of tests administered on Shoshone County residents, it is impossible to get a complete number as many residents have gone to Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene — the Panhandle’s COVID-19 hub — or beyond to be tested.
SMC can track the number of tests they have administered in their facility, but PHD does not track their number of tested patients by county (unless they test positive).
“Testing numbers specific to (each) county is not something we are actively tracking,” said Kathryn Hoyer, PHD communications officer. “The state of Idaho’s site gives (the) total number tested through the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories and through private labs.”
It is because of this inherent inaccuracy of the total number, combined with patient privacy, that SMC will not be releasing their facility testing numbers.
“That local testing (number) is really incomplete data, where we have more folks that have probably been tested outside of the county than in it,” said SMC CEO Paul Lewis. “There’s not a lot of benefit there and we’re pretty sensitive when it comes to protecting the privacy of patients.”
While there has been no official case in Shoshone County, SMC and its staff continue to prepare for the worst.
SMC’s main building in Kellogg and SMC’s Family Clinic in Smelterville remain open, but both continue to operate under strict visitor restrictions and health status screenings.
Administrators continue to hold daily meetings with local, state and regional partners in an effort to continue a coordinated response to the pandemic.
“We appreciate the ongoing collaboration with many community partners that help provide support and needed resources,” said Shayleen Jerome, SMC Business Development coordinator. “This effort includes coordinated planning between SMC, community skilled nursing facilities, home health and assisted living services.”
During these trying few weeks that Gov. Brad Little’s stay-home order has been in effect, SMC has received an enormous amount of support from the community in several different forms including people donating gloves, flowers, lunches and masks (both hand sewn and commercial grade) to the hospital.
“These thoughtful donations help us stay safe and provide a great boost to our team. Thank you for your thoughtful support!” Jerome said.
Since not all/any of SMC’s in-person services are active right now, they are currently working with North Idaho Connections and Aunt Bertha to provide patients with information regarding community programs and resources that may be needed during this time.
These sites offer local, state and nationwide programs, ranging from offices to hotlines. All of the programs featured on the websites, www.auntbertha.com and www.northidahoconnections.org, are either free or low-cost.
As of Friday morning, the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare shows that there have been 13,094 people tested in the state — 1,353 of which have come back positive. Of those confirmed cases, there have been 127 hospitalizations (33 of which were admitted to Intensive Care Units) and 24 fatalities.
Lewis stresses the importance of referencing the numbers reported by the state of Idaho or PHD, as other sources can be inaccurate.
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Idaho, visit www.coronavirus.idaho.gov.
For information and resources strictly pertaining to the Panhandle, visit www.panhandlehealthdistrict.org/covid-19/
If you have questions or are experiencing respiratory symptoms, contact Panhandle Health District at 877-415-5225 to be screened for possible COVID-19 testing.
If you require emergency or other patient services at SMC, please call ahead if possible to 208-784-1221 so preparations can be made.