COVID-19 taking toll on rural communities

COVID-19 taking toll on rural communities

GEOGRAPHICBOUNDARIES AND INNEBRASKA RURALCOMMUNITIES AREBEING HIT HARD.WITH LIMITEDINFECTIOUS DISEASESAND CRITICAL CARESPECIALISTS ANDLIMITED I-C-UCAPABILITIES THESESMALLER HOSPITALSIN RURAL REGIONS OFTHE STATE ARESTARTING TO REACHCAPACITY.PHIL BERGMAN HASMORE.ACROSS THECOUNTRY RURALCOMMUNITIES ARESEEING THE TOLLS OFCOVID-19FIRSTHANDHERE INNEBRASKA VIRUSHOTBEDS AREPOPPING UP IN RURALPOCKETS OF THESTATETHREE OF THEFOUR COUNTIES WITHTHE MOSTCONFIRMED CASESARE IN THE CENTRALPART OF THE STATE,INCLUDING HALLCOUNTY WHICH HASMORE THAN 530CONFIRMED CASES.WHEN YOU REALLYBREAK IT DOWN BYCOUNTY, IT'S ADIFFERENT PICTURETHAT EMERGES ANDIT'S ALARMING.9:10 DOCTORANGELA HEWLETT ISTHE MEDICALDIRECTOR OF THENEBRASKABIOCONTAINMENTUNITSHE SAYS ONEREASON THESECOUNTIES ARE BEINGHIT HARD IS THATTHEY TEND TO BEHOME TO FOODPROCESSING ANDMEAT PACKINGINDUSTRIES WHOSEJOBS ARECONSIDEREDESSENTIAL DURINGTHE PANDEMIC.THESE PLACES ARENOT PLACES WHEREPEOPLE CAN WORKFROM HOME ANDTHEY CAN'TTELECOMMUTE ANDTHEY NEED TOACTUALLY GO TOWORK.7:19 YOU MIGHTTHINK THAT THESERURAL COMMUNITIESHAVE BEEN SPAREDBUT THEY HAVEN'T.2:11 DOCTOR ANDREWPAVIA IS AT THEUNIVERSITY OF UTAH.HE SAID WHILE SOMERURAL COUNTIES ARESHOWING FEWCONFIRMED CASESWE SHOULD TAKETHESE LIMITEDNUMBERS WITH AGRAIN OF SALT.THERE ARE AREASWHERE FEW PEOPLEARE GETTING TESTED.DOES THAT MEANTHERE IS NODISEASE?ABSOLUTELY NOT, ITMEANS WE DON'THAVE A GOODSPOTLIGHT OF WHATIS GOING ON IN THOSECITIES AND WE'REMISSING THINGS.4:35 HERE INNEBRASKA DR.HEWLETT SAYSSMALLER HOSPITALSWITH LIMITED I-C-UCAPABILITIES ARESTARTING TO BECOMEFULL IN SOME CASESAND ARE NEEDING TOTRANSFER PATIENTSTO LARGERHOSPITALS TO GETAPPROPRIATE CARE.SHE SAYS NEBRASKAIS NOT OUT OF THEROUGH YET.WE HAVE NOTREACHED OUR PEAK,WE'RE NOT SUREWHAT WEEK WE'REON BUT WE HAVE NOTREACHED OUT PEAK.11:47 DOCTORHEWLETT EXPECTSMORE RURALHOTSPOTS ACROSSTHE U-S OVER THECOMING WEEKS.REPORTING INOMAHA, PHILBERGMAN, 3 NEWSNOW.DOCTOR HEWLETTSAYS RURALHOSPITALS DON'THAVE ENOUGHSTAFFINGCURRENTLY.SHE BELIEVESENHANCING TESTINGCAPABILITIES TO BEABLE TO DO LARGEAMOUNTS OFCONTACT TRACINGWOULD BE HUGE FORTHESE COMMUNITIES.AS WE DEAL WITH APANDEMIC..