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Coronavirus Patients Now At Spokane's Sacred Heart

Providence Sacred Heart

Two American citizens with the novel coronavirus were transferred to Spokane’s Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center this morning [THURSDAY], and two more were expected in the afternoon.

The patients’ identities are unknown, as is the severity of infection.

The patients were transferred from Travis Air Force Base in California and are part of repatriation efforts, meaning they contracted the virus outside of the country.

Spokane’s health officer, Bob Lutz, says their arrival shouldn’t worry the city’s residents.

“There is no risk to the residents of Spokane County by bringing these individuals into our community for care," Lutz said. "In general, the risk to the general public of the novel coronavirus, the COVID-19, remains very low.”

The downtown Spokane hospital was chosen because of its specialized pathogen unit, which opened in 2017. The unit can treat up to 10 people with highly infectious disease.

Peg Currie, the hospital’s CEO, says the arrival of the coronavirus patients marks the first time the unit’s been used.

“I’m here to tell you that we are very confident. The staff’s very competent. We are well prepared to deal with this particular situation here with the new coronavirus. I’m confident in our team members. I’m confident in our physician providers that we have the ability to safely care for these patients as well as our community," Currie said.

Sacred Heart is one of 10 specialized pathogen units in the nation, but the only one in the Northwest. Only one other similar unit - in Omaha - is known to have received similar patients.

 

Nick Deshais previously served as the Inland Northwest correspondent for SPR, Northwest Public Broadcasting and the Northwest News Network.