Clearwater County COVID-19 rate at 27.2 percent

by Dr. Ann Lima, Clearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics

Our current positivity rate over the past 30 days is 27.2 percent.

Clearwater County is averaging 19 new cases per day and the rate is 217 per 100,000 people. On several days recently Clearwater County has been the county with the highest per-capita rate in Idaho.

COVID is the leading cause of death in November 2020 for Idahoans.

COVID is the 3rd leading cause of death in Idahoans thus far in 2020.

Idaho has more cases than Oregon, Oregon has 2.4 times the population of Idaho.

At Clearwater Valley Hospital, we do have a small supply of the monoclonal antibody infusion, bamlanivimab, that can be offered to some high risk patients in the first days of their illness. This has minimal benefit, and is not helpful in patients who are sick enough to be hospitalized. It is a 1-hour infusion. We also have supplies of remdesivir and dexamethasone for our ill patients that may benefit from these medications.

However, there is no cure for COVID-19 disease and the medications that are available have marginal benefit at most.

CVH is getting our first shipment of a COVID vaccine this week, in a limited supply.

Please continue to do your part in helping to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wear masks when around people who are not in your household, practice social distancing and good hand hygiene and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.

Photo: Dr. Ann Lima, Clearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics