Banner CEO updates city on COVID-19 preparations

Tom Milstead
Posted 3/20/20

Most people who contract COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has effectively brought a halt to everyday life in every corner of the globe and killed thousands, hardly ever show any signs or symptom.

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Banner CEO updates city on COVID-19 preparations

Posted

TORRINGTON – Most people who contract COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has effectively brought a halt to everyday life in every corner of the globe and killed thousands, hardly ever show any signs or symptom. 

And that’s what makes it dangerous, according to Banner Community Hospital CEO Zach Miller. It’s a cold to four out of five people – but for the fifth, it’s much more serious. 

“The good news is that 80% of patients will show almost no symptoms,” Miller said. “It will be very mild cold symptoms and you wouldn’t know it from a cold. But for those 20% that are affected, like the elderly and those that have more of a risk for illnesses, they will need further treatment.”

The Wyoming Department of Health confirmed that there are 15 cases of COVID-19 in Wyoming and while there are none in Goshen County as of press time, Miller told the Torrington City Council on Tuesday night that his facility is prepared to handle the situation when it arises. 

“This is one of the biggest pandemics we’ve seen in quite some time,” Miller said. “Banner Health, is taking quite a few different actions to ensure we are protecting our patients and our community to the best of our ability. 

“As far as our capability to care for these individuals, we have a very talented medical staff at community hospital. Our providers are very well trained in the care of respiratory illness and we’re fully capable to do that.”

But still, BCH has taken steps to make sure the novel coronavirus, which the Center for Disease Control said is responsible for 75 deaths in the United States and nearly 8,000 worldwide. Miller said the hospital has restricted access to visitors in response to COVID-19. 

“We have restricted access to the facility,” Miller said. “If you were to come up and walk into our facility today, you would know there is only one entrance – the ER entrance. All patients and visitors will go through there. 

“As of today, because it has changed twice in the last two days, we’re allowing one visitor per patient per day. That visitor has to answer questions and make sure they’re not ill themselves. We have patients that are there for unrelated issues, and we want to make sure it’s not coming into our facility.”

Miller also said the hospital isn’t allow for things like cards and flowers to be sent to patients in the facility. 

“We’re asking people to refrain from sending those at this time,” he said. 

Miller told the council that while the COVID-19 situation is developing rapidly, universal precautions like hand hygiene is the most important thing people can do to slow the spread. 

“COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that spreads through droplet transmission,” Miller said. “That means if you sneeze, the droplets from your sneeze lands on a surface and it’s transmitted. 

“It’s really important as we move throughout this process that you wash your hands. That’s the No. 1 thing you can do. Limit the touching of your face, and wash your hands. Those are two really simple things we can do.”

Miller also told the council that it’s important to follow social distancing guidelines issued by the state and federal government. 

“One thing you’ve seen from the schools, proclamations from our president and governor regarding meeting size – this is about as big of a meeting as you want to have. You want to limit those to 10 or so,” Miller said. 

“I can’t stress enough the reason for school cancellations is so we’re not in a big group. It doesn’t do a lot of good to have kids go to a communal house with multiple households together. It’s to try to slow the spread and transmission into our community.”