Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains Sets New COVID-19 Admissions Record

WEST PLAINS, Mo. (KY3) – Howell County now ranks first in the state of Missouri for the percentage of people infected with COVID-19. Ozarks Healthcare has reopened its COVID-19 unit and the hospital has reached full capacity.

West Plains, the county seat, is in the national news, but it’s not the kind of publicity a city wants. Anderson Cooper recently asked a doctor at Ozarks Healthcare that some patients don’t want anyone to know they’ve received the vaccine. “It’s really amazing that people dress up to get the shot because they’re afraid of people’s backlash,” Cooper told Dr Priscilla Frase in a live interview on CNN. Frase confirmed that the hospital needs to take extra steps to protect the privacy of people who don’t want their friends, family or colleagues to know they’ve been vaccinated.

As of Friday, July 30, Ozarks Healthcare had 39 COVID-19 patients. Hospital officials say that on average, over the past month, one person has died from the virus every day.

Dr Christopher Cochran, MD specializes in Internal Medicine at Ozarks Medical Center. His office oversees most of the outpatient tests performed at the hospital. “The vast, overwhelming majority of our COVID-19 patients are not vaccinated,” said Dr. Cochran. “And by that I mean in the top 90s percentile.” Dr Cochran added: “We did not admit a single vaccinated person to our intensive care unit who was suffering from Covid.”

Cochran said it’s because the vaccine does exactly what it’s supposed to do. This does not guarantee that a person will not catch the virus, but so far vaccinated patients have shown much less severe symptoms if they do contract the virus, and none have died from it. He believes the risk of side effects from the vaccination is minimal compared to what can happen if you contract COVID-19 without receiving the vaccination.

Cochran was born, raised, and spent his entire medical career in the Ozarks. He understands why some people are suspicious of vaccines, in large part because of the large amount of incorrect information circulating.

“I will be the very first to admit that I was absolutely 100% wrong about this disease,” Cochran said. “And that’s one of the reasons I’m working so hard to get my community immunized because I was wrong and told my community the wrong things. I didn’t tell anyone that it was a bogus disease, or that it wasn’t real or that people didn’t really suffer from it – nothing like it – but I never dreamed it would get here and would do what she did to our community. “

Meanwhile, vaccination rates in Howell County remain among the lowest in the country. Just over 20% of eligible beneficiaries chose to be vaccinated. The national average is 56%. However, the Howell County Health Department reports that it has seen a significant increase in the doses given over the past month. They offer vaccination clinics every Friday. A month ago, they gave 20 injections during the clinic. By July 30, they had already given 86 by 2 a.m., and they still had two hours left.

Pomona resident John Marcum got curbside service at the vaccination clinic when he and his 90-year-old father received their first injections. Three of her cousins, all chiropractors, are currently battling COVID. “I guess one is in really bad shape,” Marcum said. “One of them went to Disneyworld, as I understand it, and picked it up and brought it back to his brothers.” None of them had been vaccinated. “They just thought they didn’t need it,” Marcum said.

Dr Cochran said he was doing everything he could to convince people to get vaccinated. “I don’t know if I hurt people by being wrong,” Cochran said, “but I try to help people by being right, and that’s recommending to anyone who can – and that’s almost everyone – to get the Covid vaccine somewhere, sort of.

Cochran said the recent increase in COVID-19 cases has left hospital staff stretched and stressed. “If you walk into Ozarks Healthcare with a heart attack or stroke or any of those things,” he said, “you’re going to get really good care, you’re going to get exactly the care that you have. need, but you’re gonna get treated by a bunch of tired people, because they’re exhausted from dealing with an illness that’s so preventable, and it’s pretty frustrating for all of us.

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