The beginning of the New Year meant a new position for long-time St. Anthony Regional Hospital public health and home health services RN, Nikki Schwering. But shortly after becoming Director of Carroll County Home Health, Hospice and Public Health, Schwering found herself guiding her staff and the entire county through the COVID-19 pandemic. She says as of Wednesday morning about 104 tests have been administered to residents with four pending. There has been only one positive case, and that patient has fully recovered. Doctors are determining whether or not a patient is getting tested, but even if you exhibit the symptoms of a fever, cough and shortness of breath, you may not qualify.
Schwering adds the quick action in the isolation of that Carroll County resident who was infected and their adhering to the quarantine guidelines was key in preventing widespread transmission. The models are still predicting that Iowa will not see the peak until May 1 or shortly thereafter, and Schwering says that means we are going to be practicing physical distancing for a period of time yet. It has been hard, she says, but there are things you can do.
When out in public, she stresses people should be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest recommendation of wearing a mask in certain situations.
In addition to distributing multiple daily updates to their website and Facebook pages on this very fluid situation, Carroll County Public Health is also working with the Carroll Area Development Corporation on an email delivery of pertinent business-related COVID-19 information and holding Emergency Coalition meetings every Friday with hospitals, nursing homes and assisted livings, schools and county leaders discussing preparedness. One of the major concerns they are hearing from the health and long-term care providers is over the potential shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). Schwering says they are very busy gathering the needed materials.
Schwering says they are comfortable with the amount of PPE they have on hand right now, but she says she is not wanting people to get complacent or have a false sense of security because we are not seeing it ramp up here yet. She says that now, more than ever, it is important for every Carroll County resident to do their part to keep the direct impact to our citizens as minimal as possible WHEN it does hit us. A link to Carroll County Public Health’s website and Facebook page as well as to the full interview with Schwering can be found below.
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Carroll County Public Health:
Website: https://carrollcountyiowa.org/pview.aspx?id=20965&catid=563
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carroll-County-Public-Health-510158605672606/
Full interview with Nikki Schwering:
