Emergency responders prepare

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
“We have drilled, trained and exercised the worst-case scenario for Wyoming and asked (the) homeland securities to enact assistance compacts to bring in extra medical staff to help with whatever we are dealing with,” said Melanie Wilmer, the public health emergency coordinator for Crook and Weston counties. “Never in the worst-case scenario did we include the entire country, let alone the world.”
Emergency responders in Weston County are preparing for the day when the novel coronavirus breaches the Weston County borders. They discussed current supplies, hospital space and the future of health care in Weston County during a virtual meeting on March 25. 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 4 p.m. on March 30, a total of 140,904 people had been confirmed to have COVID-19 since the first confirmation on Jan. 22. Within the 55 jurisdictions reporting cases, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Marianas and the U.S. Virgin Islands, there have been 2,405 deaths related to the disease. 
As of 2:50 p.m. on Monday, the Wyoming Department of Health reported a total of 94 cases out of the 1,389 tests performed. The virus has been detected in 15 of the Wyoming’s 23 counties.
Public health nurse Lori Bickford said during the meeting that the question isn’t whether or not someone in Weston County will become the first confirmed case but when and that it is important that the community be prepared for it. 
County health officer Dr. Mike Jording added that his impression from discussions with other health officials is that the state is approaching a period of increased activity with sicker patients and an increased number of cases. 
“The concern is out there that there are cases that are probably flying under the radar and they don’t realize they are sick. We are waiting for the positives, and at that point, we will begin our contact investigation,” Bickford said. 
She explained that a contact investigation is a deep dive into all the potential contacts made by an individual who has been confirmed to have COVID-19. 
“As far as worrying, we know at some point we will receive that positive and we are ready to handle that. We have no problems with what we are supposed to do,” Bickford said. 
Weston County has received some supplies from the state but Weston County Health Service CEO Maureen Cadwell’s biggest concern remains the availability of testing kits. She and several staff members meet twice a day to go over supplies and a series of other items, including the testing process and staffing issues, Cadwell said. 
“We are having issues as far as getting cleaning solutions, but we are tracking that. They are on back order, but we are on lists to get them,” Cadwell said. “Today we are okay, but if things break out, we are going to be short.” 
Bickford said that she was disappointed in the supplies that had been received by the county and that she knows of no specific date when more are coming. 
“We are going to get what we get, and we will divvy that out,” Bickford said. “They (supplies) are trickling in, but we are not going to get what we need, and we will just have to do the very best with what we have. That’s the hard part. I don’t know if we will have enough of what we need.” 
If a steep influx of patients were to occur, space for the sick is also a worry. Based on the current room situation at the hospital, Cadwell said, the facility has the potential to house 32 to 36 patients. 
“That would be a considerable strain on staffing, supplies and other types of things,” Cadwell said. “But if we had to, if we couldn’t transfer out to another facility, we have that potential. There is also potentially the use of rooms in the nursing homes and portable isolation equipment. We are currently looking at the capacity we have for oxygen, what we can maintain.” 
Cadwell said that the staff has also discussed alternative locations, if the situation were to get extreme. Beds, bedding, additional equipment and other issues would arise with an alternative location, she said. 
“Space is the biggie. We want to be able to
separate patients,” Cadwell said. “We will need access to electricity, oxygen concentrators and other
equipment.”
Other necessities in a possible alternate location include a bathroom and kitchen. Locations suggested by the group include the schools, the Weston County Events Center at the Weston County Fairgrounds and the Weston County Senior Center.
Finding  furnishings for the facility would be a major challenge, according to Cadwell, especially after the American Red Cross said that the availability of cots through that organization is questionable. County Commissioner Tony Barton suggested contacting the Mallo Camp board about the use of the camp’s beds. Jording suggested that vacant hotels may be an option. 
Unfortunately, Cadwell said, another concern is what to do if people start dying. 
“With a pandemic you are going to have people who pass away, and we are going to potentially need storage for these bodies in
the event that several people pass away at once,” Cadwell said. “It is something we need to talk about.” 
Bickford said that she had been looking at portable coolers or trucks to be brought in. County Coroner Cindy Crabtree had been contacted and was also looking for options, she said. 
“We are looking at outside solutions. We only have the ability to house a few. Space is limited,” said Gilbert Nelson, Weston County’s emergency manager coordinator. “We are currently looking at our plan and updating it. Hopefully, in the next day or two we will have more things put together.” 
The county’s first responders plan to continue meeting virtually for discussions on the COVID-19 situation in the county and the state. 
Bickford urged people to do their best to follow the social distancing guidelines established by the Wyoming Department of Health and to avoid contact with others if they have any symptoms.