Two more cases confirmed in Asotin County

Health officials said Friday that two more people in Asotin County have tested positive for COVID-19 and are isolating in their homes.

The county now has a total of six cases of the illness that has infected more than 1 million people as it has marched across the globe and turned normal life upside down.

The illness has claimed the lives of 16,570 Americans including 475 in Washington and 25 in Idaho.

The five counties of north central Idaho, administered by Public Health ­– Idaho North Central District, have seen just 25 confirmed cases of the disease. That ranks second lowest among the state’s seven health districts. Southeastern Idaho Public Health District has the fewest at 10 cases.

But north central Idaho has the distinction of having the highest death rate in the state — by far. Of the 25 COVID-19 patients in the district, five have perished from the illness. That works out to a mortality rate of 20 percent.

Five people have also died from the illness in the area covered by Southwest District Health. But that district has seen 168 confirmed cases and has a mortality rate of 2.9 percent, the second highest in the state.

The Central Health District, which includes Boise, has seen sixth deaths out of 531 confirmed cases for a mortality rate of 1.1 percent. And the South Central District, which includes hard-hit Blaine County, has recorded 9 deaths out of 584 cases and a mortality rate of 1.5 percent. The rest of the districts have not recorded any deaths related to COVID-19.

The disease has a higher death rate among the elderly and those with underlying health issues. In some parts of the country and world, it has swept viciously through nursing homes where residents are particularly vulnerable. For example, Life Care Center of Kirkland, Wash., was ravaged by the illness in February and March.

Mike Larson, a nurse for the Idaho North Central District, would not say if any of the five deaths in Nez Perce County were related to nursing homes or long-term care centers, but did say those are places most at risk.

“What we have learned from everywhere else in the world is unfortunately if it gets to a place where that is the major population, the elderly population, it’s really hard. No matter what you do you may not be able to stop it.

“That is why we were very supportive when almost all of the long-term care centers locked down and prevented visitors. That just seems to be the right thing to do to isolate the incredibly vulnerable population.”

Differences in mortality rates could also be related to how testing is administered. For example, if tests are given only to gravely ill people, mortality rates would tend to be higher than if all people with symptoms are tested.

In Idaho, 13,764 people have been tested, out of which 1,396 have been confirmed to have the illness. Idaho’s individual health districts, however, don’t publish testing data on their websites. Officials from the North Central District have been reluctant to share testing data.

Elsewhere in the region, there were no new cases of COVID-19. Whitman County held steady at 12 cases. A news release from Whitman County Public Health reported a spike in fraud related to COVID-19 and advised people who become aware of fake testing sites, fake test kids or treatments and vaccines to report them to the Washington State Fusion Center at intake@WSFC.wa.gov.

Nez Perce County is recommending that people follow the CDC guidelines of wearing cloth face masks when in public settings and where it may otherwise be difficult to maintain social distancing.

President Donald Trump issued a disaster declaration for Idaho. The declaration makes funding available to state, local and tribal governments.

Several organizations in north central Idaho received grant funding from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund for Idaho.

First Step 4 Life Recovery Center at Lewiston will receive $10,000, the Snake River Community Clinic at Lewiston will receive $5,000, the Willow Center will receive $1,000, and the friendly Neighbors Senior Citizens Inc. will get $500.

Grants will be made every week this month.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.