Times Union: Communities Prepare for Worst Case in Outbreak

The Times Union interviewed Steven Hanks, M.D., chief clinical officer for St. Peter’s Health Partners, for its story on how Capital Region hospitals are preparing for a worst-case scenario in the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the article:

Other areas that have seen hundreds of positive cases and multiple deaths also are preparing for the worst.

Dr. Steven Hanks, chief medical officer for St. Peter’s Health Partners, said the facility secured refrigerated trucks early on to have resources at the ready should the hospital morgue reach capacity.

“Hospitals have their own morgues, but they’re generally very small and accommodate a usual number of deaths that you would experience in a hospital,” he said, noting the Albany hospital’s morgue is not full.

Four people have succumbed to the illness in Albany County, which had 278 cases as of Saturday. Of those cases, 34 people are being treated in hospitals and 12 are in the intensive care unit.

Click here to read the full article.