Health care officials talk roller coaster journey of COVID-19

Tuesday marked a rare positive milestone for Latah County during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was the first day since the pandemic began in March 2020 that Public Health – Idaho North Central District reported no new cases of COVID-19 in the county, according to the health agency’s director, Carol Moehrle.

While this data does not include home tests, it came as a relief for the Public Health staff who have been keeping track of cases since the first one was reported March 23, 2020.

“It was a happy day for all of us and something to celebrate in Latah County, for sure,” Moehrle said.

She joined Gritman Medical Center CEO Kara Besst on Wednesday to speak to the League of Women Voters of Moscow about how the two agencies have responded to the pandemic in the past two years.

COVID-19 activity levels are currently low, but it was not long ago when Moehrle’s staff had to investigate as many as 350 cases a day during high levels of infections.

Local school districts and universities are now relaxing mask mandates, but Besst said Gritman’s staff is still required to wear them. Of the Moscow hospital’s 700 staff members, 91% are vaccinated, she said.

Residents in Latah County have the highest vaccination rate among the five counties overseen by Public Health – Idaho North Central District, Moehrle said. The other counties are Nez Perce, Lewis, Clearwater and Idaho. Moscow has a 55% vaccination rate among its residents, including children.

Besst said that as the hospital tried to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it added nine negative pressure rooms to the five it already had in 2021 to handle an increase COVID-19 patients. It is planning on adding another 14 this fall. It also purchased two additional ventilators and UV lights designed for sterilization purposes.

The stress of the pandemic was difficult on the staff, she said, as employees chose to retire or find a new career.

“It’s been a very challenging pandemic, and so we’re seeing people leave the health care profession,” she said.

Besst also said at one point as many as 67 staff members missed work because they were diagnosed with COVID-19.

Both Besst and Moehrle have heard of new COVID-19 variants spreading in other parts of the world, but so far it appears they only cause lighter cold-like symptoms.

They also stated the health agencies have seen fewer than normal flu cases in recent months, which could be attributed to people wearing masks and practicing good hygiene.

Public Health – Idaho North Central District reported three new COVID-19 cases Wednesday in Latah County. Those cases included one person aged in their 30s and two in their 40s.

There have been 6,086 confirmed cases, 549 probable cases and 46 deaths in the county since the pandemic began.

The Washington Department of Health on Wednesday reported another death related to COVID-19 in Whitman County. There have been 90 total deaths in the county since the pandemic began. The state’s data shows 8,600 total cases and 674 hospitalizations during that period.

Whitman County Public Health did not update its daily case numbers Wednesday, but its website lists the COVID-19 activity level as low.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.