As of press time, there have been no reported cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Montana, but it’s only a matter of time and there will be, said KC Williams, Yellowstone County’s Emergency Services director, earlier this week.
As of noon Wednesday, 761 people of the 330 million people in the US have been identified as having COVID-19. According to USA Today on line, Wednesday afternoon, The U.S. death toll climbed to 31, with 23 of them being in Washington, two in California and two in Florida and the number of U.S. cases rolled past 1,000, federal health officials said. Worldwide there have been 116,166 confirmed coronavirus cases reported, which includes 4,088 deaths — 64,387 individuals have recovered from COVID-19.
Almost all of those who have died from COVID-19 are people with compromised immune systems.
Williams spoke to county department heads, on Monday, about being prepared for what is sure to come to the community as a result of concerns about the threat of COVID-19. “We need to think of how we are going to operate with diminished staffing.”
Most of the issues with which the county departments will have to contend, will be little different than that with which businesses will have to deal, not least of which is a problem that elicited some laughter. Williams suggested that everyone be on the lookout for toilet paper thieves.
Toilet paper theft from businesses in Billings has become problematic, he said, given that most stores report that they have sold out of the commodity, which apparently has become the thing to horde. Apparently, the idea is that should a person become quarantined, the one thing not to run out of is toilet paper.
But the bigger issue for the county will be that of staffing departments with limited numbers of employees.
Williams explained that it has been the experience of almost every state, that as soon as a report is made public about the very first case of the virus in that state, people immediately become fearful about going to work and don’t show up. The phenomenon is expected to impact business and government alike.
How are you going to deal with that? he challenged; especially since it will come on top of other worker -shortages resulting from employees, out sick from the regular flu, as well as those who do contract the virus, or must be quarantined. Symptoms of COVID-19 are very similar to those of the seasonal flu, from which an estimated 20,000 people have already died this flu season, according to media reports. Typically, about 57,000 people die of the flu every year.
Williams specifically questioned how the Department of Motor Vehicles will deal with their customers, who are often grouped for periods of time and waiting in a queue.
Employees are also concerned about what will happen should they be quarantined. Will they have to use “sick days” for that? County Personnel Director Dwight Vigness said that there are provisions in policy for that situation and it basically leaves it up to the county commissioners about how they want to deal with it.
Other impacts of the nationwide panic about COVID-19, for Yellowstone County, is loss of revenue on interest earned on the county’s investment funds. “We are losing thousands of dollars every month,” said the County’s Finance Director Kevan Bryan, referencing the drop in interest rates that has been spurred by the broader economic impacts of fear about the virus. Over the course of a year the county will lose a million dollars in interest earnings on its $220 million invested from its various funds.
County Health officials advised that to avoid getting or spreading the virus, employees follow the precautions recommended for avoiding the common flu – don’t come to work if you do not feel well, wash hands very, very frequently, sneeze into sleeves, etc.
In another meeting, John Felton, President & CEO, RiverStone Health, the city-county health agency, advised that to get accurate information people should go to the RiverStone website. He explained that the Unified Health Command (UHC) is overseeing the official responses to the public health threat. (The UHC is comprised of Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare and RiverStone Health.)
Felton said, “I believe we are doing a really good job….. It’s a very dynamic situation and I am pleased with the way the community has stepped up.” He added, “This is very much like building the airplane as you fly it.” But, he noted that for the UHC this is not their first rodeo – they have a track record of being able to address public health emergencies, very well. This is the first time, however, the situation is being impacted by social media, “Information gets out, true or not,” he said.
The UHC follows the protocols issued by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) which includes recommendations for personal protection, needed equipment, community- wide inventory, communications, etc.
The UHC has recommended that hospitals restrict patient visitations. Also recommended, “We have implemented business travel restrictions, and to avoid air travel or large gatherings.”
Williams noted that in other states events are being cancelled. For the most part that has not happened in Montana, although some venues have cancelled all events scheduled in their facilities.
Asked when he thought the virus would peak, Williams said, it would peak in the fall – meaning that the level of detecting the virus will peak in the fall. Typically virus infections, such as the flu, peak just prior to spring, and COVID-19 might also, but the increasing ability of states to detect and report the virus will peak next fall.
It is commonly being suggested that there “are probably thousands and thousands of people” who have had the virus but never realize it. People do not get tested unless they seek medical care.
Billings is almost certainly to experience cases because it is a medical center that serves as a referral center for the region. There’s a good chance that the first case reported in Billings will be someone not even from Billings, said Williams.
Felton said that testing will be done by the State Lab in Helena, and they expect a one-day turn-around.
Felton also explained the difference between the coronavirus and COVID -19. Coronaviruses are not new (common influenzas are in the same family). Coronavirus identifies a group of viruses and COVID-19, although a new strain, falls into that category.
COVID-19 is suspected of causing a more severe illness than the flu, but doesn’t spread as efficiently.
Disinfectant products that have been determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to be effective against coronavirus in the past are thought to be effective for this version of the virus.
It was noted in one media report, by a national health advisor, that the primary difference about COVID-19 compared to other flues, is that they do not have a vaccine for COVID-19, but they are working on it, and although it will take a while, there will probably be a vaccine at some point. He also emphasized that, while new, COVID-19, as a virus is here to stay. Eventually, almost everyone will catch it, he said.
