It’s been three months since COVID-19 first hit the U.S. Many states are well on their way to reopen. But there’s still no vaccine. Indiana Public Broadcasting’s All IN talked to an epidemiologist and a hospital executive who reflected on the past three months and talked about what to expect as states continue to open.
Indiana University-Purdue University Director of Epidemiology Education Tom Duszynki says at the beginning of the pandemic, the expected number of infections and deaths looked grim. But he says the preventative measures states took helped slow the virus.
"In the absence of a vaccine and the absence of solid proven treatment, we were really able to bend that curve,” Duszynki says. “Those simple actions of good hand-washing, physical or social distance were able to have an effect.”
Dr. Ram Yeleti, chief physician executive at Community Health Network, says as states reopen, it is important to remember the virus has not gone away. It's unlikely a vaccine will be available until next year, but the country will be better prepared for a suspected second wave in the fall, he adds.
“We will have more tools, not the ideal ones, but definitely have more tools,” Yeleti says. “I do think, when it comes back it may still be just as contagious, but we will have a lot more better ways to handle it and not shut down the entire country.”
Tuesday COVID Numbers
As of Tuesday, the ISDH says 40,786 people in Indiana have tested positive for the new coronavirus and 2,265 have died from COVID-19. Monroe County's positive case number is 190, and the county death toll is 18.
ISDH says it has tested 363,745 people across the state so far. That number includes tests run by the state, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, and some private laboratories. The percentage of tests that return positive is 11.2%.
Tuesday's numbers show that 12.3% of the state's 2,551 existing intensive care unit (ICU) beds are currently being used by patients with COVID-19-related illnesses, while 40.2% are still available.
And as of noon Tuesday, 4.0% of the state's 3,013 total ventilators are being used by COVID-19 patients, while 82% are still available.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
