So what happens next with COVID-19?

A St. Tammany Health System nurse prepares to administer a COVID-19 test at the health system’s drive-through testing site in Mandeville. (Photo by Tim San Fillippo / STHS)

By STHS Communication Department

Truth be told, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about COVID-19, but many of them are rooted in the same three simple words: What happens next?

Will we be able to continue the downward rate of infections and be done with COVID-19 by the end of the summer?

If we do beat it, will it come back in the fall?

And we’re still going to get a football season, right?

The answer to all of those questions is the same: Maybe.

That’s because one of the tricky things about the COVID-19 coronavirus is that it’s so new experts are learning more about it every day. Consequently, the priority for frontline healthcare providers isn’t necessarily to try to divine what’s going to happen next, according to Dr. Patrick Torcson, the chief medical officer at St. Tammany Health System.

Rather, it’s preparation.

“I think we are not going to make any specific predictions, but we are planning and preparing for any possible scenario,” Torcson said. “No question, in looking at the data, we are seeing a downward trend in the number of cases. I think that is a result of the social distancing and all the measures that we have put into place. So we think that is very positive. I think that there will continue to be this downward trend as we move toward getting back to normal.”

There’s always the possibility, Torcson said, that COVID-19 might burn itself out like other pandemic viruses -- including SARS, MERS and Ebola – and no longer be a major public health concern. But, then again, there’s also a possibility it could make a comeback once schools start up again in September and tailgaters start gathering outside Tiger Stadium and in Champion Square.

It’s the job of the healthcare team at St. Tammany Health System to make sure they are prepared either way. The good news is that process is well underway, Torcson said. Consequently, even if the virus does come back, COVID and non-COVID patients alike can rest assured STHS will be safe, clean and ready for it.

“We are the safety net and we are the front line for taking care of patients that do become infected with COVID-19,” Torcson said, “so we are going to stay vigilant and stay prepared, and I think that all that preparation and planning has made this a stronger and more highly performing organization than we were even before the pandemic.”

He continued: “I think, again, because of what we learned about COVID-19, we’re safer in many respects than we were before the pandemic in terms of knowing how to isolate, test, and different infection control measures. So, for patients that need care, you can feel safe about coming to our hospital.”