KH adds COVID-19 unit
Six rooms converted to critical care; Kootenai County launches a campaign to ‘Stop the Spread’
COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai Health said Wednesday it has 22 inpatients with COVID-19. Five require critical care and the remaining 17 are receiving general medical care.
“Over the past three weeks, Kootenai Health has seen a significant increase in the number of COVID patients,” according to a statement from KH.
On July 6, it had three hospitalized patients who had COVID-19, and through its testing center, had identified 420 positive cases. Two weeks later, it had 19 COVID patients and 1,022 positive tests.
In response, Kootenai Health has made changes to accommodate patients with COVID-19 as well as patients hospitalized for other reasons.
It has designated one medical unit as its COVID-19 Unit. Patients with COVID-19 will be cared for on this unit.
Six more hospital rooms have been converted to critical care rooms with additional equipment and features.
The Critical Care Unit has 26 beds, with most filled on an average day with patients receiving cardiac care, undergoing neurosurgery or being treated for trauma.
“These additional rooms will help accommodate the patients we typically see in Critical Care such as those who need cardiac care, neurosurgery, and trauma care as well as severely ill COVID patients,” the statement said. “With the addition of these six rooms, we currently have four open Critical Care Unit beds.”
Additional critical care nurses have been brought on to care for COVID-19 patients as well as other critical care patients.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilators were used extensively and there was quickly a shortage of them. As more has been learned about the most effective course of treatment for COVID-19, other equipment, such as a BiPap machine, is being used more frequently.
“At this point, we are confident we have enough ventilators and ventilator-alternatives such as BiPap, to effectively care for our COVID-19 patients,” the statement said.
The Panhandle Health District reported 46 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing its total to 1,346. Of those, 1,150 are in Kootenai County, with 652 active cases.
Benewah County has 29, Bonner County 102, Boundary County is at 20 and Shoshone County has 31 cases.
Nearly 600 of PHD’s overall cases are no longer being monitored.
Meanwhile, Kootenai County leaders hope to stop the spread of COVID-19 through a public awareness campaign.
The “Wear a Mask” campaign launched Wednesday. It reminds residents and visitors to wear masks.
Signs and billboards that say “Stop the spread. Wear a mask in Kootenai County” will be placed across the area, along with other outreach efforts through print, TV, radio and social media avenues.
Campaign partners include the cities of Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls, PHD, Kootenai Health, Heritage Health, the Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls school districts, North Idaho College and Knudtsen Chevrolet.
“Our goal is stopping the spread of coronavirus while avoiding another quarantine,” said Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer. “With the help and cooperation of our community, we can contain COVID-19 and enjoy North Idaho the way we all know and love.”