Brooke County health board talks virus response
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WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County Board of Health Monday heard about current and planned future efforts to prevent spread of COVID-19.
Mike Bolen, administrator of the county's health department,said his staff has been strained by the recent surge in local active cases, which on Monday reached 78, not including 44 who were classified as probable because they were found positive through the less reliable rapid test after displaying symptoms common to the virus.
The health department also reported four currently are hospitalized while the number of deaths linked to the coronavirus has risen to six.
Asked about the most recent deaths, Bolen said the elderly have been hit hardest by the virus but that doesn't mean younger age groups are immune to its impact.
"I've seen it make perfectly healthy people really sick and I've seen elderly people (with it) do fine. You don't know how you're going to react until you catch it," he said.
Bolen told the board he'd anticipated a surge in cases around the holidays, when many people gather for celebrations. He said while it came sooner than expected, it may help to deter people from planning large gatherings when Thanksgiving and the Christmas season arrive.
He said when approached by organizers of community holiday events, the department has tried to offer sound advice while stopping short of prohibiting such occasions.
"We try to offer common sense guidance and recommendations," Bolen said, adding that can include weighing the pros and cons of holding an event and ways to encourage safe distancing.
He said willingness by the public to take precautions, including wearing masks and practicing good hygiene, can help limit intrusion by the virus on daily lives.
"The more people who volunteer to protect themselves and others, the more it's going to help control the spread," Bolen said.
He noted the Brooke and Hancock county health department again will team to offer free testing from noon to 4 p.m. today at the Weirton Salvation Army headquarters on Cove Road.
He said such testing is recommended by state health officials whenever a county has entered gold, orange or red levels. He said while it can reveal more positive cases, it does take time from public health personnel trying to trace contacts for patients who have tested positive after seeking treatment from healthcare providers.
Board member Judith Martich noted the testings provide a valuable service to underprivileged citizens who might otherwise be faced with fees while being tested at medical facilities and drugstores where the tests are becoming available.
Bolen said with an average of 20 new cases per day, his staff have been working seven days a week interviewing patients and determining people with whom they have had close contact while continuing to provide the department's regular services.
"There's a lot of stress from that across local health (departments) right now," he said while adding later that his staff has handled it well.
"My staff has been amazing even under the pressure and stress," he said.
Bolen said the department also has received a boost from local school nurses who have conducted their own contact tracing for students who tested positive.
Bolen said later he has hired emergency medical personnel on an hourly basis to assist with the testing, which he said usually draws about 150 people in three to four hours.
He told the board he hopes to add a licensed practical nurse to supplement the department's five full-time and two part-time employees and has begun accepting applications through the state. He said additional state funds have been received for the position and may be available in the future.
Bolen said more staff may be needed when a vaccine becomes available. He said the vaccinations could begin later this year or early next year and may involve two doses.
He there will be logistics, include cold storage for the vaccine, to be worked out.
Board members noted the department also will need to educate the public about the vaccine.
"We've got a lot of challenges coming up in the next six months," said Bolen.