Johnson County moved back to “orange.” What does that mean?
Johnson County moved back to “orange” this week after a week in the “red,” according to the state’s color-coded metrics used to determine community spread of COVID-19. The county’s 7-day positivity rate topped 15% for several days starting Dec. 6. The positivity rate fell last week to 13%, where it has remained steadily.
No matter which color the county is in, the Johnson County Health Department recommend continuing to wear masks, wash hands regularly and socially distance, said Betsy Swearingen, health department director. The only meaningful difference between the “orange” and “red” is the gathering limit, which is raised to 50 from 25 when counties are in the “orange.”
Swearingen expects the county to see-saw between “orange” and “red” in the coming weeks, as another testing surge may occur ahead of Christmas as it did Thanksgiving. Many college students will also get tested before going back to school in January, which could raise the positivity rate, she said.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe first vaccines arrived this week. What are the county and state’s plans?
The first round of Johnson Memorial Health employees will be vaccinated Friday morning. All hospital employees were invited to schedule a vaccination first, including everyone from doctors, nurses and paramedics, to those who work in the cafeteria and environmental services, said Michelle Amos, infection preventionist at the hospital.
Other health care workers, including long-term care facility employees, will be vaccinated next, Amos said. The hospital will be joined by CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, which have signed on to help the state vaccinate long-term care facility employees and residents, Swearingen said.
The next group will be those with health conditions that make them more susceptible to a poor outcome if infected with COVID-19. Conditions in this group are determined by Centers for Disease Control guidelines, which include people who are older than 65, obese, have heart conditions, COPD, cancer, chronic kidney disease or Type 2 Diabetes, according to the state’s vaccine distribution plan.
Essential workers will be vaccinated next. The state has deemed the following professions as essential: firefighters, police, food service, retail, public transportation, utilities, public health, manufacturing, indoor construction workers, teachers and warehouse workers, according to the state’s plan.
The last group to be vaccinated will be the general public — all Hoosiers who don’t fit into the priority categories, the state’s plan says.
Vaccines for health care workers are being handled by hospital staff and helpers brought in from local health and fire departments, Swearingen said.
Once essential workers and general public vaccinations begin, responsibility will become decentralized and vaccines will be available at the health department, local pharmacies, doctor’s offices and other traditional vaccination sites, Amos said.
Swearingen plans to bring on nurses and paramedics to help with the health department’s vaccination clinics. Some workers will be paid by way of a state grant, while others may work on a volunteer basis or with a loan from their employer, Swearingen said.
It is not clear yet how many will need to be hired. That will depend on the supply of the vaccine and demand for doses, she said.
How will I know when I can get a vaccine?
The state has a plan in place for distribution of the vaccine to essential workers and those with comorbidities, but local officials aren’t yet familiar with it, Amos said.
So far, most of the planning at the local level has focused on the initial stage with only a rough idea of how to prepare for later stages, Swearingen said.
Right now, health care workers and paramedics are getting notifications on when they can register based on their licensure, Swearingen said.
In later stages, it is likely that doctor’s offices will be called on to notify individuals with comorbidities when they are eligible, and employers could be tapped to notify essential workers, Amos said.
In Johnson County, the goal is to have health care workers vaccinated by Dec. 28, and move on to long-term care facility residents and those with comorbidities, Swearingen said.
It is unclear when exactly the vaccine will be available to essential workers or the general public. Though the timeline is unclear, it is the goal of local and state health officials to get a vaccine to all Hoosiers who want one as soon as possible. The main obstacle will be the supply, she said.
“It is the goal to get it to everybody,” Swearingen said. “It is the matter of if there is enough.”
Is Johnson Memorial Hospital ready to give vaccines?
Hospital staff on Wednesday ran through procedures that will be in place for the first vaccine clinic starting Friday in the old emergency wing.
Staff mimed giving a vaccine, ran through patient questions, practiced showing patients the call button and setting a timer for 15 minutes of post-vaccine monitoring. Staff also walked through registration and setting up an appointment for the booster shot.
All of the practice was to get the process down and make sure patients have a good experience when their appointment comes up, said Dr. David Dunkle, Johnson Memorial’s president and CEO.
“We want that positive word of mouth out in the community. We want people to say, ‘Oh yeah, go get your vaccine. It was easy,’” Dunkle said. “They do a great job at Johnson Memorial Health.”
How to do I find out more about the vaccine?
Ask your primary care doctor or read reports on the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines published online by the Food and Drug Administration. The Pfizer vaccine was approved for emergency use by the FDA last week, and the Moderna vaccine is expected to be approved today.
Both vaccines are more than 90% effective for all adults after double-blind study vaccine trials, the reports show. The Pfizer vaccine was shown to be safe for those age 16 and up, while Moderna is safe for those age 18 and up.
A fact sheet for Pfizer vaccine recipients is available at fda.gov/media/144414/download.
The Moderna report is available at fda.gov/media/144434/download.
If I get the vaccine, am I safe from COVID-19?
Vaccine studies do not conclude that the vaccine alone will be enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. Health experts recommend all vaccine recipients still wear masks and follow all other infection control precautions.
How is the hospital doing this week?
On Wednesday, 40 people were hospitalized, with eight of those being COVID-19 patients. The hospital is usually pretty full this time of year, but the late-fall increase in patients is exacerbated by the virus, Dunkle said.
“This time of year hospitals usually run 80-90% full, but you add in COVID patients on top of that, that is where we get in trouble,” he said.
Johnson Memorial has gone about two weeks without having to go back on diversion, but the hospital is now seeing its numbers swell because of southside Indianapolis hospital diversions, Dunkle said.
“I’m so grateful to have such a great staff who constantly steps up,” he said. “This has been going on for months now and they are tired. But when you are in health care, you choose it for a reason. That is evident seeing the sacrifices people are making on a daily basis.”
COVID-19 admissions have been lower recently, which makes Dunkle hopeful more county residents are taking precautions seriously.
“People have seen how the numbers have risen and hopefully they are starting to listen to that a little bit,” he said. “We can hope.”
Time will tell.
“We are on the cusp of having a vaccine. Stay vigilant and do the right thing,” Dunkle said. “We are getting closer every day to getting this pandemic behind us.”
How can I celebrate Christmas safely this year?
The CDC and state health department recommend against holiday gatherings. But if folks do decide to gather, there are many recommendations to do so as safely as possible.
The CDC recommends considering the level of community spread where the gathering is to be held, as well as the level of community spread in places where the guests live to determine whether it is safe to gather. Potential exposure while traveling should also be considered, according to the CDC.
The CDC says the number of guests who attend should be limited to how many can fit in a gathering space while maintaining a six-foot distance between household groups. The more people in a gathering, the higher the risk.
Health officials say it is safer to hold gatherings outdoors if possible, or in an indoor setting with good ventilation. The CDC recommends opening windows to increase ventilation or putting heating or cooling systems on a setting that will circulate air continuously.
Longer gatherings also pose a higher risk. Anyone who is within six feet of a COVID-19-positive individual for 15 minutes or more is at high risk for contracting the virus and would be asked to quarantine for 14 days following exposure, according to CDC guidelines.
Additional CDC recommendations for hosts include limited guest contact with surfaces, such as serving spoons, frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces, and providing enough hand sanitizer, hand soap and single-use towels for all guests.
Before attending or hosting a gathering, the state health department recommends staying home to limit exposure, and getting a COVID-19 test to avoid asymptomatic spread between participants.
The state health department also recommends asking about potential exposure and symptoms, particularly if any high-risk guests are attending.
This year, the health department recommends going to a long-term care facility instead of pulling loved ones out to have dinner with others. Unless there is an active outbreak at a facility and unless the county where the facility is located is in the “red,” the facility is likely open for visits.
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Here is a look at the latest numbers available, from Dec. 10 to Wednesday:
Johnson County
Daily cases: 182
7-day positivity rate: 13.4%
Weekly cases: 1,123
Weekly deaths: 16
Indiana
Daily cases: 6,283
7-day positivity rate: 12.5%
Weekly cases: 38,161
Weekly deaths: 543
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