An Open Letter to Hancock County Residents from Hancock Health

Covid-19 is the new norm in America, in Indiana, and in Hancock County.  Though there has not yet been a confirmed case of the disease for a Hancock County resident, at least one person who works in our county but lives elsewhere has been diagnosed and is recovering at home.  It is very likely that there are many, many more individuals in our county who have been infected with Covid-19 and are experiencing mild symptoms but may never be officially diagnosed.  These individuals likely think they are experiencing a bad cold or mild form of respiratory flu (which is common this year).  In fact, these individuals are carriers of a highly infectious disease, that is known to be deadly for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, and may unknowingly be sowing the seeds of our own piece of the global pandemic.

While we have an exceptional hospital in our county and have easy access to the larger health systems in Indianapolis, you may not know that the majority of healthcare is provided in an outpatient environment (70% of Hancock Health services are outpatient) and we all operate near capacity for our inpatient units with very little wiggle room even for the impacts of the seasonal flu.  While we have surge plans in place, our hospitals will be quickly overwhelmed should Covid-19 spread unchecked. Continue reading…