Coronavirus: Idaho teen who got COVID-19 syndrome now needs heart transplant
A child in Idaho needs a heart transplant due to complications of a COVID-19 syndrome.
A “previously healthy” teenager from Idaho had to be airlifted to a hospital in another state, where the patient is awaiting a heart transplant, Dr. Kenny Bramwell said Tuesday morning.
“While COVID is commonly inconsequential for many people, there are a subset of people who become exceptionally sick,” said Bramwell, St. Luke’s Children’s Medical Director.
Bramwell noted that dozens of children in Idaho have been hospitalized as a result of the coronavirus, and a few have developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C, a rare but serious condition linked to COVID-19.
Ada County in ‘red,’ but West Ada parents want kids in school
A majority of parents in the West Ada School District say they support having students in classrooms despite what state guidelines call for during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey from the school district.
The results show that a majority of parents would support having in-person classes five days a week in the “yellow” category — meaning there is a moderate risk of community spread. State guidelines suggest schools in the yellow category have an alternating schedule of in-person and online classes.
Parents also supported having students on a hybrid schedule of online classes on certain days and in-person classes when in the “red” category, which indicates community transmission and is a guideline issued by state officials suggesting that all classes move online.
Earlier this month, West Ada administrators sent out a survey to all parents to gauge their comfort on letting kids back in classrooms if the district was moved into the red category. Parents were asked about their feelings on each type of school returning to classes: elementary, middle and high schools. The results show that a majority of parents would support having in-person classes regardless of age.
Before Tuesday, West Ada was in the yellow, and all students have been in classrooms at least two days a week. Kindergarten through fourth grade are already back in class five days a week.
However, the Boise-based Central District Health announced Tuesday that Ada County is now in the red category, as the county’s steep rise in cases warranted the shift. CDH officials said last week that the move was expected, but students could remain in school. The health district updated its guidance last week to allow schools in Ada to have hybrid schedules in the red if they so choose.
“While we are seeing cases within our schools and are working closely with those impacted, fortunately, at this time, we are not seeing much school transmission, where people are becoming infected from others in the classroom environment,” Russ Duke, director for Central District Health, said in a news release last week.
Students in grades 6-12 were also surveyed by the West Ada district, and results show a majority of students want to return to classrooms instead of following coronavirus safety recommendations.
Shortly after the survey was sent out to parents, West Ada spokesperson Char Jackson said the goal was purely to get parents’ feelings about having children in classrooms.
The Boise School District said it will have a hybrid school schedule for the rest of this semester. The West Ada School District’s board meets at 6 p.m. today, Oct. 13.
Idaho County Jail reports coronavirus case
The Idaho County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that one of the county jail inmates had tested positive for coronavirus. The Sheriff’s Office, based in Grangeville, did not expand on how long the inmate is suspected to have had the virus.
“The subject has been isolated and proper testing/protective protocols have been put into place,” according to a Facebook post. “At this time, all administrative services in the sheriff’s office will be suspended. This includes jail visitation, fingerprinting, concealed weapons permits and sex offender registry, as these are close contact services.”
Idaho adds over 410 new coronavirus cases
Though two health districts did not report new numbers Monday, Idaho reported 413 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 50 new probable cases. Southeastern Idaho Public Health and the Panhandle Health District did not provide updated coronavirus statistics, likely because of Monday’s federal holiday.
Three new deaths were reported Monday in Idaho. Two were found in Ada County while a single death was reported in Canyon County. Idaho’s coronavirus death total is now up to 511.
Ada County had the most cases Monday, 111, bringing its total to 13,060. Canyon County reported 68 confirmed cases, and its total is now 8,261.
Several Idaho counties also reported double-digit new case numbers Monday, including Madison (50 new), Twin Falls (44), Bonneville (46), Cassia (16), Minidoka (11), Jefferson (10) and Jerome (10).
Idaho now has 43,897 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state. The state’s rolling seven-day average dropped slightly from Sunday but is still high: 609.4 new cases per day.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reports that of the state’s confirmed cases, 24,523 people are presumed to be recovered. Health and Welfare also reports there are 5,003 “probable” cases of the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease, in Idaho.
As of Monday, 338,000 people in Idaho have been tested for the coronavirus, and about 13% of those tested have returned positive, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
All Idaho counties, except Adams, have reports of community spread.
Coronavirus cases have been found in all of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 13,060, Adams 27, Bannock 1,312, Bear Lake 53, Benewah 159, Bingham 1,050, Blaine 730, Boise 58, Bonner 361, Bonneville 2,787, Boundary 51, Butte 61, Camas 31, Canyon 8,261, Caribou 136, Cassia 877, Clark 33, Clearwater 84, Custer 70, Elmore 316, Franklin 205, Fremont 269, Gem 314, Gooding 319, Idaho 233, Jefferson 627, Jerome 783, Kootenai 2,982, Latah 684, Lemhi 114, Lewis 49, Lincoln 90, Madison 1,365, Minidoka 825, Nez Perce 489, Oneida 30, Owyhee 324, Payette 873, Power 278, Shoshone 218, Teton 210, Twin Falls 2,631, Valley 97, Washington 371.
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 9:56 AM.
