COVID-19 in Rural America - Cook County, MN Public Health Supervisor Grace Grinager

2020-06-30

How would you feel about living in a community that, so far, has seen exactly ONE case of COVID-19? What if that community also has zero ICU beds, and the only ventilator is used to transport patients to the nearest intensive care unit… 2.5 hour away? And what if this is a community where the economy relies on tourism and we’re heading into the busy summer months when families will roll into town from across the region. This is exactly the situation in Cook County, Min...

How would you feel about living in a community that, so far, has seen exactly ONE case of COVID-19?

What if that community also has zero ICU beds, and the only ventilator is used to transport patients to the nearest intensive care unit… 2.5 hour away?

And what if this is a community where the economy relies on tourism and we’re heading into the busy summer months when families will roll into town from across the region.

This is exactly the situation in Cook County, Minnesota, in the farthest north part of the state.

Cook County has been working hard to keep the pandemic at bay, realizing that even a small outbreak could cause big problems. They are one example like many others around the country where COVID-19 might SEEM like it’s not a real threat because there haven’t been many cases, but where vigilance is critical at a time when people are getting restless about continued social distancing and the wearing of masks.

In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Cook County public health supervisor, Grace Grinager, about the unique challenges facing rural America as we deal with this pandemic.

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