Frequently Asked Questions
Community Engagement Virtual Meeting - Thursday, September 3
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Question 1: Current Numbers for the County
- Watch Video
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Question 2: There is confusion about the additional testing sites that
will be able to test asymptomatic individuals. You mention they may or
may not require a physician order. With this in mind won’t it give
false security? An individual can be negative one day and within a few
days be positive.
- Watch Video
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Question 3: Can you give us an update on the new saliva test?
- Watch Video
-
Question 4: The numbers keep changing and the community is now unsure of
who to believe. As the CEO of Kaweah Delta, what is the true death rate
from COVID?- Watch Video
-
Question 5: What is the accuracy of the antibody test we are using and
does it have a name?
- Watch Video
-
Question 6: Are healthcare workers regularly tested?
- Watch Video
-
Question 7: Do you have a report that shows the co-morbidities of patients
who died from COVID?
- Watch Video
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Question 8: How many deaths are related to nursing homes?
- Watch Video
-
Question 9: Speaking with a nurse from KD the nurse said there wasn’t
enough PPE. Is that true?
- Watch Video
-
Question 10: You mentioned you are getting a supply of 50,000 N95 masks
from Office Depot. Can anyone buy one from there?
- Watch Video
Community Engagement Virtual Meeting
Question 1: What are the current numbers?
Question 2: There is confusion about the additional testing sites that
will be able to test asymptomatic individuals. You mention they may or
may not require a physician order. With this in mind won’t it give
false security? An individual can be negative one day and within a few
days be positive.
Question 3: Can you give us an update on the new saliva test?
Question 4: The numbers keep changing and the community is now unsure of
who to believe. As the CEO of Kaweah Delta, what is the true death rate
from COVID?
Question 5: What is the accuracy of the antibody test we are using and
does it have a name?
Question 6: Are healthcare workers regularly tested?
- They are not tested unless they have symptoms. Healthcare workers do get
screened every day upon arrival to work.
Question 7: Do you have a report that shows the co-morbidities of patients
who died from COVID?
Question 8: How many deaths are related to nursing homes?
Question 9: Speaking with a nurse from KD the nurse said there wasn’t
enough PPE. Is that true?
Question 10: You mentioned you are getting a supply of 50,000 N95 masks
from Office Depot. Can anyone buy one from there?
Questions and Answers from Community Engagement Virtual Meeting
Question #1: Current Numbers
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Current Numbers
- Positive cases in County - 14,442
- Positive cases in hospital - 35
- Deaths in County - 240
- Recovered Cases - 13635
- Positive Employees - 341
- Positivity Rate -13%
- Hospital Census - 95%
State- 11.6M tests, 712K tested positive, 6.1% positivity rate. 14 day
rate is 5.1%. 7day is coming in at 4.4%. Sadly, 130k deaths 1.8% death
rate. 3k hospitalized down 12% from last Thursday. 1200 in ICU, 33k healthcare
workers contracted and 150 deaths.
Question #2: There is confusion about the additional testing sites that
will be able to test asymptomatic individuals.
There is confusion about the additional testing sites that will be able
to test asymptomatic individuals. You mention they may or may not require
a physician order. With this in mind won’t it give false security?
An individual can be negative one day and within a few days be positive.
There is a big difference in a specimen collection site than a testing
site. The Tulare Ag Center will now hold a specimen collection site. You
can call and get an appointment to go there. You do not need a physician
order and they will collect your specimen there. It will be sent to a
commercial lab. There has been a vast improvement in turnaround times.
Testing is still limited to symptomatic patients at Kaweah Delta. We did
secure Quidel for the nasal swab testing. Once we get that at all of our
rural sites, patients can call, make an appointment, and go to the site
whether they are asymptomatic or symptomatic.
Question #3: Can you give us an update on the new saliva test?
Can you give us an update on the new saliva test?
Abbot just received FDA emergency use for EMIAX. There is no equipment
involved. They will be distributed to health sites. The test has to be
performed by a health care worker. It can be done at physician office,
done by a school nurse, and done by medical assistants. I believe it is
$5 a test and produces results in less than 15 minutes. They collect saliva
and place it on a card and it gives you a reading. They have also developed
an app for your smart phone so it sends the results to it. If you have
a negative result, you can show it to the airport, employer, etc.
Question #4: The numbers keep changing and the community is now unsure
of who to believe. As the CEO of Kaweah Delta, what is the true death
rate from COVID?
The numbers keep changing and the community is now unsure of who to believe.
As the CEO of Kaweah Delta, what is the true death rate from COVID?
We have had 240 Deaths County wide. There are a few different ways we can
measure death rate, those that test positive in the county 14,442 positive
COVID cases, that translates to a death rate to 1.67%. (the state rate
is 1.8%) Another way to measure the death rate and more common occurrence
is to compare it to the flu rate which translated in 2017-2018 to 2 deaths
per 100,000 people. If we look at death rates to total population, 240
COVID deaths to 480,000 population translates to a death rate to .05%,
or 50 people per 100,000.
Question #5: What is the accuracy of the antibody test we are using and
does it have a name?
What is the accuracy of the antibody test we are using and does it have a name?
The antibody test is very sensitive and is 99.5% accurate.
Question #6: Are healthcare workers regularly tested?
Are healthcare workers regularly tested?
They are not tested unless they have symptoms. Healthcare workers do get
screened every day upon arrival to work.
Question #7: Do you have a report that shows the co-morbidities of patients
who died from COVID?
Do you have a report that shows the co-morbidities of patients who died
from COVID?
No, we don’t. There is a specific diagnosis code where COVID-19 is
primary and secondary diagnosis is present because this virus causes a
lot of secondary reactions.
Question #8: How many deaths are related to nursing homes?
How many deaths are related to nursing homes?
Deaths are reported weekly, on Monday 8/31 there were 232 deaths and 117
were skilled nursing patients. COVID-19 patient-related nursing home deaths
are becoming rarer now. The heightened deaths were at the beginning of
the pandemic.
Question #9: Speaking with a nurse from KD the nurse said there wasn’t
enough PPE. Is that true?
Speaking with a nurse from KD the nurse said there wasn’t enough
PPE. Is that true?
No, that is not true. There is no doubt about it that PPE practices and
supplies have changed constantly. Early on in the pandemic the N95 mask
was in limited supply, but now, because there is more availability, we
provide a N95 mask at the beginning of their shifts. A nurse working with
a COVID-19 positive patient wears full coverage; bonnet, face shield,
face mask, and a disposable isolation gown.
Question #10: You mentioned you are getting a supply of 50,000 N95 masks
from Office Depot. Can anyone buy one from there?
You mentioned you are getting a supply of 50,000 N95 masks from Office
Depot. Can anyone buy one from there?
I do not know but I would imagine our bulk order through Office Depot is
done at the corporate level. I am not sure you can walk in there and buy
one or two off the shelves.