Calm before the storm

KELLOGG — While it’s fairly likely that COVID-19 has already made its way to the Silver Valley (and beyond), an official diagnosis has yet to be made … yet.

Dr. David Lawhorn and Andrea Garner with Shoshone Medical Center spoke with the News-Press for the twice-a-week local COVID-19 update and reported that things have been quiet so far (knock on wood), but that could change in an instant.

“They could very well have a positive test at the lab, but we are still delayed in knowing for up to a week,” Dr. Lawhorn said.

While it is difficult to ascertain an exact number of COVID-19 tests administered to Shoshone County residents, due to some residents going straight to Kootenai Health (or beyond) for the test, SMC is aware of several that have been set out to be analyzed. Result return times for the COVID-19 tests can vary based on the laboratory it’s sent to.

Even though the virus isn’t “officially” here yet, that hasn’t stopped local medical personnel from preparing.

On top of daily meetings held amongst themselves, Lawhorn said that hospital representatives from all the North Idaho counties had a conference call recently to connect and report their status.

Of all these hospitals, Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene was chosen as the hub hospital to treat any confirmed inpatient cases of COVID-19.

Lawhorn explains that Kootenai Health is the only facility in the region that currently has the ability to do outpatient COVID-19 testing — with an accompanying doctor order.

“We are not a testing site,” Garner added, “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.”

SMC is currently one of many medical facilities in the region that lack a surplus of testing kits.

Until more kits become available, the majority 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.

If all goes well though, this situation could change fairly soon.

“I do expect the regular COVID-19 testing to open up, hopefully in the next week or so,” Lawhorn said.

Plans are still being drawn up for a mobile collection site if the need arises.

As of now, there is no collection point and SMC is not conducting any routine collection for send-off testing.

“The goal is to isolate and test in place and treat symptomatically in place as much as possible, so as not to overwhelm the hospital or potentially expose hospital personnel unnecessarily,” Lawhorn said.

Moving forward, both Lawhorn and Garner stress the importance of adhering to the guidelines set forth by Panhandle Health District and Gov. Brad Little. Sticking to these rules will help limit exposure to the most vulnerable group — the elderly.

“There probably is someone in Shoshone County that is infected, we just don’t know it yet and we won’t know it for another week or two,” Lawhorn explained. “Now is absolutely the time for people to do everything they can to protect the nursing homes in the Silver Valley.”

Local nursing homes have taken steps to limit their residents’ contact with the outside world, but it doesn’t hurt to play your part as well to limit exposure.

According to a JAMA Health Forum article by Michael L. Barnett, MD, MS and David C. Grabowski, Ph.D., nursing homes have become “ground zero” in the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Of the first 46 confirmed deaths attributable to COVID-19 in Washington by mid-March 2020, 30 deaths, more than 1 in 4 residents of the facility, were associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland,” the article stated.

“More reports are emerging of outbreaks in nursing homes across the U.S. and it is likely that other nursing homes around the country will also become hubs in their communities for the worst clinical manifestations of COVID-19.”

If you begin to show symptoms associated with COVID-19 — cough, fever, tiredness and difficulty breathing — ensure you self-isolate and do not go to the hospital.

Contact the Panhandle Health District at 877-415-5225 or your primary care physician if you think you should be tested.

If you are tested for COVID-19, ensure that you self-isolate until you receive your test results. The importance of self-isolating cannot be stressed enough. However, when the symptoms subside you need to continue to self-isolate for an additional 72 hours before removing yourself from isolation. Please adhere to these guidelines to help end the transmission of this virus.

The News-Press will continue to put out local COVID-19 updates in every print edition until the situation is resolved or deescalates.