What’s behind Kent County’s coronavirus death rate, one of state’s lowest? - MLive.com

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Across the state, Kent County’s coronavirus numbers are unenviable.

Among counties, it has the fourth most COVID-19 cases with nearly 5,200, trailing only Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties for case totals.

But hidden in the figures is what some consider a success story.

Surprisingly, the county’s death rate is at 2.6 percent compared to the statewide rate of 8.8 percent since the pandemic began in March.

Even smaller counties have higher rates, including Ottawa County at 4 percent, Jackson County at 6 percent, Calhoun County at 7.1 percent and St. Clair County at 10 percent.

As of Friday, July 10, Kent County had 5,189 cases and 137 deaths.

So what’s the secret?

Local health leaders say it’s difficult to point to one factor, but they think a myriad of health-related practices have played a role.

COVID-19 testing might be the biggest factor, according to Kent County Health Director Adam London.

The county was testing “at risk” populations early on in hopes of finding infections and isolating those people to prevent spread. It also helped catch many cases before people’s health deteriorated.

More recently, testing has been ramped up to about 1,700 tests per day.

Related: Michigan reports more than 600 confirmed coronavirus cases Friday, July 10

“We’re finding cases earlier before they become severe,” London said. “And we’re also keeping the hospitals under capacity, so they’re not overwhelmed.”

Russell Lampen, an infectious disease specialist at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, said it helped that local health leaders had time to learn from what was happening in the Detroit area in March and April.

“Detroit was getting absolutely decimated. The hospitals were at or beyond capacity with COVID patients,” he said. “We saw the impending health care crisis developing. At the same time, it wasn’t really here yet.

“So we were rapidly gearing up for patient case loads like Detroit and they never really materialized,” he said. “I think we were fortunate to have avoided that.”

When coronavirus activity seemed to peak in Kent County in early May, Spectrum Health had slightly more than 65 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. That’s now dropped to 32.

Spectrum Health also organized “treatment teams” to study what the most current research was for COVID-19 care and worked aggressively to get experimental trials and therapies available at Spectrum Health Butterworth hospital.

Doctors in April began using convalescent plasma therapy – the plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients is thought to strengthen the immune systems of those severely ill from COVID-19 – and now have treated 74 people with the experimental treatment.

Spectrum physicians also were using steroids early on as a treatment and also have been using a drug called tocilizumab, a medication that decreases a person’s inflammatory response to help prevent sepsis. They also have had access to remdesivir, an anti-viral medication being used in COVID-19 treatments.

Lampen said he recognizes that Kent County has fared better than other counties with its COVID-19 mortality rate and he’d like to have a better understanding why. He thinks the hospital’s multi-disciplinary approach – infectious disease, pulmonary critical care, immunology and an infectious disease pharmacy department working together – was the key.

“I think we’re sort of catching our breath and saying, this turned out pretty well for us, let’s start looking at the factors and why,” Lampen said.

Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Department, said she thinks Kent County, along with other areas that experienced COVID-19 peaks later than Southeast Michigan, benefited when testing restrictions were loosened to essentially allow nearly anyone to get a test.

“Much of the state’s increase in mortality rate is attributable to Southeast Michigan and driven by an early testing strategy that targeted testing of the sickest individuals,” she wrote in an email to MLive.

London said Kent County is conducting about 1,700 or 1,800 COVID-19 tests per day now, with specimens collected from hospitals, county testing sites and drug stores. That’s up from 800-1,000 tests per day in May and June.

Kent County was a front-runner in early March when Spectrum Health launched one of the first drive-through testing tents in the state.

London also thinks that better infection-control practices within long-term health care centers across the state is helping to prevent more deaths, at least in recent weeks.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Read more on MLive:

Whitmer orders mask use in Michigan, violators could be fined up to $500

Michigan at ‘tipping point’ in fight against coronavirus

Seeing beefed up prices at Michigan grocery stores and restaurants? Here’s why

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