SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — South Dakota health officials are warning that rural parts of the state won’t be immune from coronavirus activity.
That raises questions about whether rural hospitals, which already have challenges, can withstand any surge in cases.
Rural areas didn’t initially see a lot of COVID-19 cases when they first began to surface in the U-S. But that has changed, and rural hospitals in South Dakota might see more demand than they’re used to.
An analysis by the New York Times says the coronavirus has now been confirmed in two-thirds of rural counties in America. Tim Rave with the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations says that it will likely create added stress for small hospitals that typically don’t have a lot of staff on hand due to low patient volumes.
Health officials have estimated that up to 70-percent of South Dakotans could contract the virus. But Rave says they’re encouraged by some models showing a downward projection in cases.
And whatever challenges exist for providers, he feels confident that all health-care facilities in South Dakota will be able to adequately treat patients.
(Article by Greater Dakota News Service.)
