Entire Texas town essentially closes with nearly half its people hit by COVID-19

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Iraan, a small oilfield town of 1,200 people in west Texas, has been struck so hard by the coronavirus pandemic that the entire town has essentially shut down, including the school district and local businesses.

"We had had COVID before, but never to this magnitude," resident Vicky Zapata told CNN.

According to Iraan General Hospital CEO Jason Rybolt, 119 people were tested for the virus and 50 tested positive during a two week August span – a 42% positivity rate. Iraan Mayor Darren Brown told CNN, "This is very serious."

Rybolt said he's "very concerned for the community and "very concerned for trying to make sure that they have the health care that they need."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/entire-texas-town-essentially-closes-130700273.html

[underpants]

1. Article doesn't say but thy may have been sheepish about getting the vaccine

Just saying.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Likely. It is a small town in Texas...

[rdking647]

8. its in west texas in the middle of nowhere

TFG won almost 70% of the vote last year.

only 40% fully vaxxed.

[Beachnutt]

2. probably a lot of old trump flags hanging

around that town..

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Surprised About One Thing

A town of 1,200 has it's own hospital.
Up here in NE Illinois, there aren't hospitals in towns that size.
Geez, there are only 2 in the city of 160,000 20 miles north of us!
As to the article, 50 infected people is 4.17% of the entire population at the same time.
That would be like nearly 14 million people being infected at once in the US!
I'd be worried if I was one of those 69 who tested negative. They're negative; so far.

[Gruenemann]

5. Towns are few and far between out there.

And that's the heart of the Permian Basin, so there may be some oil bucks available to support hospitals.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Aha!

That's one area of Texas I know essentially nothing about.
Thanks for the info.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Iraan is a long way from anything

Expect it is just a triage station to hold until they can get them to Midland or Lubbock.

[rdking647]

9. its not all that unusual in texas

towns are few and far apart. a lot of the counties in texas only have 1-2k people in huge areas.
the next town might not be for 20 miles or more and in iraanns case the next town with 5000 people in it is over 50 miles away

its really desolate out there.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Yeah, Another Poster Mentioned That

My visits to Texas have been limited to Houston, DFW, San Antonio, & Brownsville.
So, I have almost no knowledge of that region.
Still surprising for someone who lives where we do.

[rdking647]

11. first time i drove out to big bend i was suprised by how desolate it was

driving down the interstate and not even a gas station for 50 miles

[LeftInTX]

12. It seems to be more of a "community hospital"

http://www.igh-hospital.com/getpage.php?name=mission&sub=About+Us

Focus on outpatient, wellness etc...
I don't think they have an ICU or surgery unit...
I guess it's an OK place if you need an IV or if they have orders for chemo from a doc etc

I guess they don't have physical therapy joints set up around town, so they have it at the hospital...