NELSON COUNTY, Ky. — Of Kentucky’s 120 counties, only 17 are not in the state’s red zone for COVID-19 incidence rates.
Some of the counties in our area that have the highest rates are small, more rural counties south of Louisville.
Flaget Memorial Hospital, based in Nelson County, serves patients from seven counties. As COVID cases surge, more and more beds are being taken up by people who are battling the virus.
One month ago, Nelson County had a COVID incidence rate of 21.9. The incidence rate is the average number of daily cases per 100,000 people. Nelson County has fewer than 50,000 people in it.
Monday – that number stood at 89.6, which is far into the state’s red zone.
“We are seeing a little bit of an uptick for us,” Flaget Memorial Hospital Director of Operations Netta Nusz said.
Flaget Memorial has 52 beds. At the beginning of the pandemic, the hospital has about five to seven COVID patients in beds. Now – that number is between 15 and 18.
Nusz said that spike came after Halloween trick or treating.
Right now, the hospital has the capacity to treat these COVID patients.
But from the beginning, they have a plan in place if cases get out of control and force the hospital to transfer patients to other hospitals in places like Lexington or Louisville.
“We’re a community hospital and our community likes to stay with us,” Nusz said. “So we do our best to take care of those patients and keep them in house, but knowing when our abilities need to transfer.”
It’s not only a concern for hospitals. A surge in COVID cases is also a problem from a public health standpoint.
“I think people are just numb or just fatigued, or have message fatigue related to ‘please wear your mask, physically distance, and wash your hands,’” Terrie Burgan with the Lincoln Trail District Health Department said.
The LTDHD covers six counties including Nelson. Burgan says public health is already strained beyond capacity at this point. She has concerns for people in the community beyond just COVID patients if the virus spread gets any worse.
“If we get to the point where our medical facilities are stretched beyond capacity, we may not have the resources available to take care of individuals who don’t have COVID,” Burgan said.
Nusz and Burgan are concerned about a spike in cases during the upcoming holidays. They advise against having a big gathering that could put people in danger.