Hospital Officials Urge Public to Rely on Facts, Not Rumor
Hospital Officials Urge Public to Rely on Facts, Not Rumor
“To date, we continue to see very minimal activity in our community, and at this time, we have not reported a positive test result. However, we prepare and expect that will be coming as the virus continues to spread,” said Natalie Gauer, administrator at Milbank Area Hospital Avera. Gauer released the update on the local status relative to coronavirus and COVID-19 on Tuesday morning, March 24.
Gauer reminds the public that not everyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 will need to be hospitalized. About 80 percent of patients who have COVID-19 can be treated at home. The rate of patients who experience serious complications is only slightly higher than that of seasonal flu.
“Rumors can easily circulate within communities during a crisis,” Gauer said. “Do your part to the stop the spread of disinformation by doing three easy things: don’t believe the rumors, don’t pass them along and go to trusted sources of information to get the facts. The State website COVID. SD. GOV and the CDC both provide accurate and up to date information.
To help the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, Avera has set up a link at the top of its home page at Avera.org or Avera.org/COVID-19.
As the pandemic continues to develop, Avera, as a system, has assembled a large team with people from across the organization to address all the issues, according to Gauer. She indicated that these efforts have and will greatly benefit Milbank and the surrounding communities.
“We are addressing questions and performing testing for possible cases and are prepared to address illness related to the virus,” Gauer said. The local hospital staff is also working to prevent the spread of illness and conserve supplies.
“We are asking people who utilize Avera facilities for their health care who feel they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who are displaying symptoms to FIRST call us before arriving in person,” Gauer said. Those who meet screening criteria are then directed through the process for sample collection.
Staff members are working to set up telemedicine clinic visits to limit exposure while continuing to see patients through the clinic and have set up processes to ensure a safe visit.
The facility is limiting visitors in the hospital.
“We have created some limitations on performing elective surgery cases at this time and have set up a protocol for guiding these decisions. This will conserve protective equipment such as gowns and masks, and ensure we have enough beds to care for patients who may need hospitalization,” Gauer said.
Local officials are working with the South Dakota Department of Health and are taking steps recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to protect employees, other patients and visitors. Actions include protective gear for staff and isolation of patients when COVID-19 is suspected.
Typical symptoms of COVID-19 are fever over 100, cough and shortness of breath. Anyone who is experiencing difficulty breathing or an extremely high temperature should call the hospital.
“It’s important for the public to understand that COVID-19 cases range from very mild, including some with no reported symptoms, to severe. While the majority of cases are mild, there are cases that are more severe,” Gauer said.
Older people, or people of all ages with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes, seem to be at higher risk of developing serious illness.
Social distancing is very important to limit the surge of cases and protect the most vulnerable persons in our population. The public is urged to follow the recommendations set by local, state and federal governments.
“If you are sick, stay home and self-isolate,” Gauer recommends. “If you are waiting for test results, it’s very important to continue to stay isolated, even if you are feeling better. Receiving test results back may take several days. Anyone who is sick should have their own bedroom and bathroom at home, when at all possible, away from other family members.”
