LOCAL

'Too many have been lost': Kentucky's coronavirus death toll surpasses 1,000

Louisville Courier Journal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A 50-year-old man from Jefferson County.

A 94-year-old Fayette County woman.

A 90-year-old man from Owen County.

Those were among the among 16 deaths a somber Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday as Kentucky's toll from the coronavirus crisis surpassed 1,000 deaths — offering a stark reminder, yet again, of how the deadly infection continues to stalk the state and devastate families and communities.

On Tuesday, Kentucky lost a 58-year-old physician's assistant in Louisville who fought for his life for six weeks on a ventilator. He was the father of twin girls, age 13, Beshear said.

"Each one of these people is so much more than just what we read off," he said. "They are one of us."

The latest Kentucky COVID-19 victims joined at least 190,000 U.S. residents who have died from the outbreak along with more than 900,000 around the globe.

"This is a very difficult milestone," Beshear said. "Compared to most states, we've done well, but lives are on the line. Too many have been lost."

Earlier:As Kentucky nears 1,000 deaths, milestone can't begin to capture the loss

It has to be little comfort to those whose loved ones have died that the commonwealth's 1,004 deaths actually are significantly lower than neighboring states such as Tennessee, which has seen roughly 1,900 deaths, and Ohio, which has lost approximately 4,300.

Indiana deaths just passed 3,100, and Illinois has exceeded 8,200. But each of those states has a greater population than the Bluegrass State. Kentucky ranked 16th, or nearest the bottom, in a state-by-state analysis of COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people by Statista.com, a data analytics firm.

Still, those dealing with the pandemic close up — doctors, public health leaders and health care executives — expressed frustration this week over the struggles to fight the novel virus.

They point to the challenges of lasting health effects for survivors, the approach of seasonal flu amid the outbreak, an uncertain timeline for a vaccine and continuing high case counts.

Another nagging, incontrovertible fact is that the novel coronavirus has disproportionately ravaged the elderly and people of color. Black people have died from COVID-19 at approximately twice the rate of white people nationwide. They also are 4.7 times more likely than white people to be hospitalized after getting infected, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Death rates skyrocket for people 65 and older. They are 90 times more likely than those ages 18 to 29 range to die from coronavirus, the CDC reports.

“It could have been worse — so what? I’m not taking any solace in the fact that it’s only 1,000 deaths," said Dr. Wayne Tuckson, a Louisville physician and host of KET's "Kentucky Health."

"That’s just the tip of the iceberg," he said. "Let’s think about the people who are going to get infected and are going to have complications down the road.”

But Dr. Jason Smith, University of Louisville Health's chief medical officer, said while it's sobering to surpass 1,000 deaths, "I'm exquisitely pleased it is not higher."

"We didn't even know some of the basics" when the first COVID-19 case arrived in Kentucky on March 6, he said.

Cities such as New York, Houston and Seattle took the brunt of a first wave, Smith said, so their caseloads overwhelmed hospitals and their death rates far exceeded anything here.

In the first few weeks and even months of the pandemic, there was a lot of improvisation in COVID-19 patient care, said Dr. Jon Klein, vice dean of research at U of L School of Medicine.

“I can’t look back and say, ‘Well, we should have known what was better,’ but I also recognize from previous epidemics and pandemics that in the beginning, you’re really groping in the dark,” Klein said.

Having "more definitive action at the national level about testing and testing supplies" would have been a big help in controlling this kind of pandemic, Klein said. "… At the state and local level I think we’ve done as well as we can with the resources that are available.”

Health inequities seen

Evon Smith, president and chief executive of the economic development advocacy group One West in western Louisville, echoed Tuckson and others in saying the crisis has laid bare stark health inequities in Louisville and across the U.S.

The crisis triggered an immediate financial and economic crisis on minority communities, but it's also highlighted food insecurity, health disparities and unequal access to health care.

"We as Kentuckians can't afford to stomach any more loss because it's becoming a detriment to our future," Smith said. "It's devastating, traumatic and downright inhumane.

"White America is suffering a certain amount. Black America is suffering twice to triple that amount. None of this is acceptable."

Recent reviews of state and county data by Johns Hopkins University and the White House highlight a troubling trend: Kentucky is still headed in the wrong direction, with daily counts of new cases remaining high since a spike in midsummer.

The state is in the red zone for new virus cases, indicating more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people during the last week. That landed Kentucky in 19th place among the highest rates nationwide, according to a Sunday White House coronavirus update.

While the state "has seen stability in new cases and stability in test positivity over the last week," the federal report noted, three counties with the highest number of new cases over the last three weeks were in urban areas: Jefferson, Fayette and Warren counties. Those three alone represented nearly 40% of new cases in the state.

ICYMI:Norton is launching clinics for those battling side effects after COVID-19

Beshear also announced 667 new COVID-19 cases in Kentucky during Wednesday's briefing, bringing the state's total to 53,977. The positivity rate was 3.84%

Some public health officials worry that the combination of the Kentucky Derby and long Labor Day weekend may lead to increased infection rates in a couple of weeks.

“I’m very anxious to see post-Labor Day if we see a similar spike that we saw after Memorial Day and July Fourth," said Donna Arnett, dean of the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health. "... Our numbers are markedly higher (now) than they were when we went to Memorial Day" in contrast with Labor Day.

In light of so many deaths and new cases, it "just shows why we're treating this virus in such a different way," said Dr. Sarah Moyer, Louisville's chief health strategist.

She and other public health strategists have pushed mask-wearing and they're beginning to see the benefits. Face coverings have been shown to tamp down the spread, Moyer said, and health officials also have discovered that masks help reduce the viral load so those who get it contract milder infections.

Flu shots and hope for a vaccine

The arrival of the seasonal flu is a huge worry because doctors and public health professionals say flu symptoms — cough, fever, runny nose, body aches and upset stomach — mimic an onset of the coronavirus.

Flu season delivers severe complications to older people who wind up with pneumonia and other conditions that require hospitalization. There's concern over people avoiding getting flu shots because of fear of exposure to COVID-19. But getting that boost for the immune system is crucial when the coronavirus is still such a deadly threat, U of L's Smith said.

The topic on everyone's mind centers on a potential vaccine. Several drugmakers are in the third phase of clinical trials for formulas that eventually may receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A few health care leaders worried that even if a new shot becomes available later this year or next, it won't offer an immediate solution.

"Certainly there's not going to be enough for everybody right away," said Dr. Peter Hasselbacher, a professor emeritus with the University of Louisville medical school who reports on the coronavirus on his blog, the Kentucky Health Policy Institute.

The politics of the vaccine — amid news reports that President Donald Trump wants one released by the Nov. 3 election — are likely to spur fear that the formula was rushed and may not be safe. That includes him, the doctor said.

"If it's one of those brand-new, untested vaccines produced just before the election, I'm not sure I want it," Hasselbacher said. "And I'm not an anti-vaccine guy."

At Louisville's eight Family Health Centers, nonprofit community health clinics that serve many immigrants, minorities, homeless and low-income clients, the focus has been on keeping the doors open when COVID-19 is impacting so many people, said Bill Wagner, the chief executive officer.

The clinics are starting to ramp up for getting out flu shots and administering more rapid virus tests to help contain the spread. Getting through the coming months is going to be a huge challenge, Wagner said.

While reports are that the vaccine may be pushed out first to health care workers, first responders and vulnerable populations like many of the 45,000 people cared for annually at the Family Health Centers, Wagner worries about whether many people will shy away from the shot.

"There's a lot of people who will be afraid to take it," he said, adding that "we have a lot of work to do."

Hasselbacher, Tuckson and other health professionals echoed a common concern right now — that people have grown tired of COVID-19 restrictions and are becoming lax about precautions, such as wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding large gatherings.

"We're just not hurting enough to do what we need to do," Hasselbacher said. "The community is tired."

'Hurry, he's dying':A chaplain’s journal chronicles a pandemic's private wounds

Reporter Emma Austin also contributed to this story. Reach Deborah Yetter at dyetter@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4228. Find her on Twitter at @d_yetter. Reach Grace Schneider at gschneider@courier-journal.com or @gesinfk.