Experts keeping an eye on rural health care centers as COVID-19 numbers rise

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS/WVAH) — All eyes are on West Virginia’s hospital capacity levels as positive cases continue to surge, especially in rural counties where options for care are limited.

Many West Virginians turn to the state’s color-coded map for guidance on schools, but health officials look at it through a different lens.

"What counties are moving to gold to orange to red, because we know they'll have trouble taking care of their COVID patients,” Dr. Carmen Burrell, a clinical director with WVU Urgent Care, said.

Case numbers rising today could mean more troubling news for hospitals down the line.

“There is usually a two week lag behind when we see case numbers starting to trend up, because it can take that long to develop more severe symptoms and really see the impact,” Burrell said.

When it comes to capacity, West Virginia has geographical issues to overcome with hospitals being few and far between in some areas.

"These smaller hospitals that don't have as much staffing may get overloaded quicker,” Burrell said. “

The limited choices could force people to travel to different counties for care.

"We have a critical access hospital in the county I live in,” Joyce Wilson, with the West Virginia Nurses Association, said. “It has a small ER and 12 acute beds. They can keep someone there if they need hydrated, but they can't keep them there if they are critically ill."

Charleston Area Medical Center spokesperson Dale Witte said the hospital systems facilities are currently taking care of rural hospital overflow.

"We can feel that we're fine and we have the beds and we have the staff, then by the next day we can be easily at capacity and at a PPE shortage and staffing shortage," Burrell said.

WVU Medicine said its hospitals are working closely with other hospitals throughout the state.