I wanted to update you on King’s Daughters COVID-19 infection rate. It is important to know the infection rate because it reflects the portion of all tests performed that were returned positive. Because it is a rate (percentage), the number is not influenced by the number of tests performed.

Also, please remember that King’s Daughters serves many counties in this region — both in Kentucky and Ohio — so our statistics won’t match exactly to any health department report.

In early June, our infection rate was less than one-half of a percent (0.4 percent). This week, our infection rate is 3.6 percent, which is a nine-fold increase. We are well above our average rate of 1.8 percent and the trend line, as you can see, is heading steeply upward.

What is even more concerning is that today, King’s Daughters has more COVID-19 hospitalizations and more COVID-19 patients in Critical Care than we have had since this crisis began.

In March and April, the community expressed tremendous support for our health care workers. They deserve it. They are some of the best people among us. They are the ones who run toward a problem instead of away from it. They are the ones who often prioritize the health of their patients over their own.

Wherever you are, if you agree that health care workers deserve your support, there is a very simple but important way you can show that support.

Please wear a mask, practice physical distancing and wash your hands.

These measures reduce the spread of the virus, protect vulnerable individuals from it, and ultimately protect our health care workers.

If you do these things, we still have time to save our community and lives.

Kristie Whitlatch
President and CEO, King’s Daughters