IDAHO, USA — One of Idaho's leading experts monitoring the state's coronavirus pandemic has a simple message regarding the virus for people in North Idaho: don't let your guard down just yet.
Dr. David Pate, who was appointed to Governor Brad Little's coronavirus task force earlier this year, addressed North Idaho's rising number of cases on Tuesday.
"I think what we have seen is people getting coronavirus fatigue," said Pate. "And that's a shame, because the virus isn't worn out."
On Tuesday, the Panhandle Health District reported another day of a double-digit increase in the area's coronavirus cases, bringing Idaho's five Northern counties to 1,300 total cases since the pandemic first started.
Of those cases, 753 people were being actively monitored, and 22 people are currently hospitalized, Panhandle Health said. Only one person has died of the virus so far.
On Tuesday, Kootenai Health said that its critical care units were at capacity, but said that COVID-19 patients weren't entirely to blame.
"We have 26 critical care beds and currently 4 are being used for COVID-19 patients. We have a total of 23 COVID-19 patients at the hospital at this time," said Andrea Nagel, a hospital spokeswoman, in a statement to KREM.
Regarding the lone death in North Idaho, Pate noted that the area wasn't reporting a disproportionate number of deaths compared to other parts of the state.
"You certainly don't have the highest proportion of cases occurring," he said regarding North Idaho's numbers.
But the doctor offered a major caveat to his observation.
"However, I guess what I would say to those in the Panhandle is first of all, don't get complacent. Don't think because it hasn't happened to you yet that it can't happen to you," Pate said.
As part of the Governor's working group that is addressing the pandemic, Pate said that he and his colleagues are tasked with monitoring Idaho's outbreak, testing capacity, and supplies of personal protective equipment. The task force has also advised the governor when asked, Pate said.
"The governor has been incredibly engaged. He is very knowledgeable," said Pate.
Pate was formerly the CEO of St. Luke's Health System in Southern Idaho prior to being appointed to Little's task force.
The doctor pointed out that many Idahoans have been eager to return to their normal lives and daily routines. As a result, some have been disregarding social distancing measures and other health measures.
"A lot of the spread has been in large gatherings," Pate said.
While coronavirus testing has also increased in North Idaho, Pate said that increased numbers of tests aren't behind the spike in cases. He said that Idaho labs are still experiencing limits regarding how many tests they're able to process.
Additionally, increases in the amount of people hospitalized due to the virus can't be explained by more prevalent testing procedures, he said.
"Everybody that goes to the hospital, they got tested before and they're getting tested now. And we've got many times more people in the hospital now. These are people with serious disease. That's not due to testing," said Pate.
As thousands continue to flock to North Idaho's lakes and outdoor areas this summer, Pate said that social distancing measures are still important.
"Certainly, anything you can do outside is going to be better," he explained. "However, do not take that to mean you can't catch it if you're outside."