The Haines SEARHC clinic (2016).

COVID-19 has not reached Alaska yet, but yesterday Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a public health emergency in response to an anticipated outbreak. As the state ramps up its efforts to address the illness, medical providers in rural communities are developing best practices for responding to cases of the virus. 

Dr. Elliot Bruhl is the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). He supervises SEARCH’s clinical operations.  

Bruhl says for over a month SEARCH’s physicians have been asking their patients questions to determine whether they are at risk of having COVID-19. Doctors ask patients if they have experienced fevers, flu-like symptoms and respiratory issues. 

“That screening has been a rapidly evolving process. With time the travel risk has continued to change,” Bruhl says. 

As outbreaks have spread to different parts of the world, doctors have started asking more questions about where their patients have traveled to recently. 

If enough criteria for the illness are met, doctors may isolate a patient and perform a test for the virus. In rural communities, it takes two or three days to get results for a test because samples need to be flown to a lab. 

Bruhl says residents will know if someone tests positive for the virus in their community.

“The identity of anybody who had a positive test would never be given,” Bruhl says. “However, it’s a public health emergency, so the presence of a positive test within a community would be shared.”

State health officials expect to detect cases of the coronavirus in the near future and are preparing for the likelihood of community transmission in Alaska. 

Bruhl says Wednesday’s disaster declaration will help coordinate the efforts of hospitals and state agencies like the Department of Health and Social Services. 

“If we have a community that’s particularly hard hit with this, we can direct resources to that community that are not available there.  For example, mobile hospital units, which we do have stationed here in Southeast.”

SEARHC has been helping local emergency responders determine the best protocols to respond to the virus and protect themselves from exposure. 

Haines Volunteer Fire Department Chief Al Giddings says the department recently ordered an oversupply of protective gear for its EMS responders. The department is also implementing procedures for responding to calls related to the coronavirus. 

“One of our concerns is that if there is a confirmed case where a patient tests positive, then each one of those responders on the call may have to be sequestered or isolated for up to 14 days. So we’re working protocols to split our EMS crew up according to levels so we don’t send our responders with the highest credentials into the single incident.”

The fire department is reminding people to take preventive measures to avoid the virus: washing hands regularly for 20-30 seconds at a time, avoiding handshakes, covering coughs and sneezes with an arm. 

The elderly and people with chronic health problems that weaken the immune system are the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. However, Giddings recommends that everyone be prepared to stay at home for at least two weeks if necessary. 

“Make sure you have enough medications, enough food or supplies that you would need for those 14 days. Perhaps putting together a phone list where people can contact you or some way to just do a well check to see if you’re okay,” Giddings says.

SEARHC has created a hotline to answer questions about the coronavirus. Call 907-966-8799 for more info or visit covid19.searhc.org.