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Whitley County health staff report two recent COVID deaths, Narcan distribution and falling immunizations
Summary
Health staff reported two recent COVID-19 deaths that brought the county's total to 100, described ongoing Narcan distribution (largely due to expiry) and noted a decline in routine immunizations while outreach and school-based programs continue.
Heather, a health department staff member, told the board the department had recorded two recent COVID-19 deaths: a 92-year-old with pneumonia and a 56-year-old with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. "That marked our 100th death of COVID, since this started in Whitley County," Heather said.
She also reported one latent tuberculosis case being treated locally (the patient lives in Noble County but receives care locally for convenience) and described the department's broader activities, including distribution of Narcan to law-enforcement and fire agencies. When asked whether the department was seeing increased Narcan usage or simply replacing expired doses, Heather said the recent distribution was driven primarily by expiry rather than high use and that first responders sometimes fail to report doses used.
Department staff and Dr. Birkbeck reported declining immunization numbers and ongoing outreach: school-based CPR and prevention programs, a planned May vaccination clinic, TB testing and staff recertifications. Staff also described community programs in development, including a county resource fair planned for Aug. 1 with screening and service partners and a women's heart-support group to be run in coordination with Parkview.
The board discussed these routine public-health items and asked staff to continue outreach and to return with any matters requiring board action.
