The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Eagle View Community Health System in Oquawka has become a regional hub for responding to the Coronavirus pandemic. Given the ever-changing environment in which they are currently practicing, Eagle View providers and staff have rapidly changed the ways by which they deliver services.
Dr. Jennifer Reed, M.D. Internal Medicine physician and medical director of Eagle View Community Health System spoke to The Quill about the novel Coronavirus and how Eagle View is providing up-to-date, evidence-based testing and infection control measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Dr. Reed states, "I am very proud of our health system's rapid response to this situation. We have established Eagle View as a COVID testing site for people in our community and region." Eagle View has received federal and state funds that have helped them do so. Those funds are directed mostly towards testing supplies and personal protective equipment.
Infection with Coronavirus, more specifically SARS-CoV-2, leads to the disease of COVID-19, which causes a respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Researchers are finding that the virus may also cause other symptoms such as diarrhea, rash, sore throat, and runny nose, and in some people, COVID causes no symptoms at all. As of April 20, 2020, there have been over 40,000 deaths in the United States since the virus was first detected in the U.S. in late January 2020.
Seasonal influenza virus typically causes between 40,000 and 60,000 deaths each year in the United States.
When asked how the Coronavirus is different, Dr. Reed explains, "The scary thing about the Coronavirus is the percent of people who end up ultimately dying from its complications; somewhere between 2-3.5% in the U.S. This is significantly higher than the influenza virus, which kills less than 0.1%.
Also, Coronavirus is very contagious, with each infected person leading to infection in 2-4 other people, compared to 1-2 other people for the influenza virus. Essentially this results in a deadlier virus that spreads more quickly than the seasonal influenza virus. Not a good combination."
The CDC is recommending that anyone who must leave their home wear a protective face mask or scarf to decrease the risk of infection. Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water and/or using hand sanitizer with greater than 60% alcohol content significantly decreases the risk of getting an infection.
"You can't be too careful. We are dealing with a very contagious and deadly virus. I know that some people feel awkward wearing a mask in public, but they truly could be saving lives - not only their own but also the elderly in our community."
Current numbers suggest a mortality rate around 15% in patients ³ 80 years-old who get COVID.
"We made a very difficult decision to consolidate our staff to the Oquawka location and to temporarily close the Stronghurst clinic. We are trying to encourage social distancing as much as possible by using Telehealth and CURB-SIDE services, especially for the elderly in our community. Our goal is to buy time to allow researchers to develop better treatments and a vaccine," says Dr. Reed.
Eagle View's Stronghurst clinic will be reopening tentatively May 4, 2020, but in the meantime, the Oquawka clinic is serving all Eagle View patients via CURB-SIDE visits and Telehealth visits, including Tele-medicine, Tele-dentistry, and Tele-behavioral health. Patients only to be brought into the clinic if absolutely necessarily.
Eagle View is a COVID-19 testing site, meaning that if a member of the community gets sick with symptoms concerning for Coronavirus, they may qualify for testing at the Oquawka location. "Eagle View is hosting CURB-SIDE COVID-19 testing to offer drive-through nasal swab testing for patients that qualify. A provider comes out to your car to prevent you from being exposed to the clinic environment. This helps protect both you and our staff," says Dr. Reed. If you or a loved one develops symptoms concerning for Coronavirus, call 309-867-2202 to make an appointment. New patients are welcome with most insurances accepted.
Dr. Reed is also concerned about the effects of self-isolation on her patients: "Social distancing is absolutely necessary to help prevent spread of COVID, but I feel for our patients stuck at home. One of the main risk factors for depression and mental health conditions is social isolation. This situation is a set-up for depression. Please do not forget about the elderly and isolated in our community. Make sure they have what they need - food, water, medications. Just giving someone a quick call to check-in can make a world of difference."