In a week, life in northeast Indiana changed dramatically.
From no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, to the closure of all Allen County schools and a statewide-ban on gatherings of more than 250 people, the global pandemic disrupted local lives.
By Monday, March 9, northeast Indiana had its first case in a patient at Parkview Noble Hospital. And then by the middle of the week, a second case emerged in Adams County.
As Hoosiers flocked to stores to stock up on antibactieral wipes and toilet paper, the words “social distancing” entered our lexicon.
The novel coronavirus emerged in the Chinese Wuhan province in early December, and spread quickly. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the virus and the respiratory disease it causes, COVID-19, a global pandemic.
In its march across the globe, the virus has been detected in more than 43,000 individuals, disrupting lives and killing thousands as critically ill individuals overwhelmed hospitals in Italy and elsewhere.
With a mortality rate of 23 times greater than H1N1 influenza, the virus can cause severe respiratory issues, particularly in those over 60 or with underlying medical conditions.
Experts began to speak of the need to “flatten the curve”, stressing the need for self-isolation and containment to stretch the exposures to the virus out, rather than cause it to peak and overwhelm hospitals and medical facilities.
On March 10, Allen County officials gathered to outline their goals for combating the spread of the disease, which had not yet been declared a pandemic.
“You don’t want to wait until you’re in the midst of it, and now you’re trying to figure out what you want to do," said Dr. Deb McMahan at the Tuesday meeting.
During an emergency meeting of the Allen County Board of Health Thursday afternoon, McMahan said that the community’s hospital networks remain at near-capacity on a normal day.
She expressed grave concerns about stresses to that system should the community fail to act.
“Health care must stand,” McMahan told the board. “We must protect access to care.”
Allen County officials worked alongside the owners of area restaurants, managers of large venues like the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and the Grand Wayne Center, and heard from pastors who want to provide places for their people to pray and find comfort.
The goal was to figure out what measures needed to be put in place, whether social distancing would be sufficient and what resources were available should catastrophe occur.
Parkview Health Network’s head epidemiologist, Dr. Scott Steinecker, told the board that the virus likely spread about 10 times more than what has been reported or detected.
Hospitalization for treatment, while not often needed, could stretch into weeks of intensive-care involving ventilators and one-to-one nursing care.
And even then, Steinecker said, the mortality rate for all who catch it could be at 10 percent.
Allen County Board of Health President Dr. Bill Pond said “there’s only so much supply” within the medical system.
“There are limits,” he said. “If we cross that threshold it will be very hard on the community.”
He addressed the doctors assembled in the room.
“Is it better to make the hard decisions now,” Pond said.
Yes, was the unanimous reply from the physicians.
The group debated awhile more, and planned to meet again on March 16 to make additional recommendations.
Within hours, though, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the elimination of non-essential gatherings of people over 250. Schools in some parts of the state had already begun to close.
The NCAA cancelled March Madness across all divisions, both women and men. The IHSAA limited attendance at their games.
On Friday afternoon, Allen County schoolsannounced their closures, as did others around northeast Indiana. And the Allen County Public Library closed for two months.
Parkview’s Chief Quality Officer Dr. Jeffrey Boord warned the health board of a failure to act during Thursday’s emergency meeting.
“This is not a short term threat and we have a very short window of opportunity.”
