131. Surrounded, held hostage

The Covid death count in Wallowa County has reached 12. This after weeks during which local health care workers tell us that they cannot release information on deaths. We no longer have a county public health agency, and for that reason the Oregon Health Authority is responsible for compiling and releasing our Covid information. 

 

According to news reports, one in 500 Americans has died during this pandemic. Wallowa County, with 7000 residents, is approaching that with more than one in 700. We’ll soon catch the national number—if we haven’t already, what with statistics trailing facts.

 

We do get daily infection numbers from the OHA—yesterday there were seven new cases in the County. We made it through the early days of Covid with ones and twos—and zeroes. Now the daily numbers hover near that seven. That’s one reason we are feeling squeezed, surrounded by a disease that seems to be closing in on us. 

 

Another reason is Idaho. With one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, Idaho infections and hospitalizations are climbing rapidly; “triage” is now the order of the day across the state. In my understanding, that means that new patients—Covid and other—are continually evaluated for prospects of improvement, with treatment going to those with the best odds. 

 

And Idaho spills into Washington. Washington’s second largest hospital, Spokane’s 700-bed Providence Sacred Heart and Holy Family, has taken patients from northern Idaho, and is being pressured to take more. Most of the non-Oregon license plates on Joseph’s Main Street read Idaho and Washington. Another way we are feeling surrounded. 

 

Within our state, nearby Umatilla and Union counties have seen surges of Covid. Grand Ronde Hospital in La Grande sent out its numbers this week. I don’t have them in front of me, but the striking thing was that 100% of their cases, critical care cases, and patients on ventilators were unvaccinated.

 

Our small hospital is running at full and near full, with little chance of moving patients needing more extensive care—with Covid or anything else—to nearby hospitals in other counties and states.

 

Rumor has it that the governor’s mandate will cause resignations in our assisted living facility and even in our hospital. That—and the fact that some businesses stubbornly refuse to mask employees or require them of customers, is our final surround. 

 

Those of us vaccinated and promoting vaccinations in Wallowa County—the majority of us—feel surrounded and frustrated, held-hostage by Covid increases and the loud shouts of anti-vaxxers here and nearby. 

 

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