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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
Find the latest updates and information on the COVID-19 pandemic at www.bitterrootstar.com Volume XXXV, Number 40
t s e B e ‘Th
www.bitterrootstar.com
RML releases promising study of antiviral drug on monkeys
Study supports COVID-19 clinical testing underway across U.S.
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Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Petition circulating to recall Stevensville mayor By Michael Howell
By Michael Howell A team of scientists at Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) in Hamilton, a part of the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), led by Dr. Emmie de Witt, an expert in the field of designing animal models to simulate human diseases, has released a promising study in which early treatment with the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir significantly reduced clinical disease and damage to the lungs of rhesus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Remdesivir is an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral treatment. It was previously tested in humans with Ebola virus disease and has shown promise in animal models for treating Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which are caused by other coronaviruses. The study was designed to follow dosing and treatment procedures used for hospitalized COVID-19 patients being administered remdesivir in a large, multi-center, clinical trial led by NIAID. The scientists posted the study on the preprint server bioRxiv. The findings are not yet peer-reviewed and should not be considered clinical advice but are being shared to assist the public health response to COVID-19. A study detailing the development of the rhesus macaque model of mild-to-moderate human disease, conducted by the same team of NIAID scientists, was posted to bioRxiv on March 21. The current study of remdesivir, a drug developed by Gilead Sciences Inc. and NIAID-supported investigators, involved two
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This scanning electron microscope image shows SARSCoV-2 (round magenta objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, is the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus shown was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Credit: NIAID-RML groups of six rhesus macaques. One group of monkeys received remdesivir and the other animals served as an untreated comparison group. Scientists infected both groups with SARS-CoV-2. Twelve hours later the treatment group received a dose of remdesivir intravenously, and then received a daily intravenous booster dose thereafter for the next six days. The scientists timed the initial treatment to occur shortly before the virus reached its highest level in the animals’ lungs. Twelve hours after the initial treatment, the scientists examined all animals and found the six treated animals in significantly better health than the untreated group, a trend that continued during the seven-day study. They report that one of the six treated animals showed mild breath-
ing difficulty, whereas all six of the untreated animals showed rapid and difficult breathing. The amount of virus found in the lungs was significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the untreated group, and SARS-CoV-2 caused less damage to the lungs in treated animals than in untreated animals. The investigators note that the data supports initiating remdesivir treatment in COVID19 patients as early as possible to achieve maximum treatment effect. The authors, from RML, also note that while remdesivir helped prevent pneumonia, it did not reduce virus shedding by the animals. “This finding is of great significance for patient management, where a clinical improveSee DRUG, page 7
NIH study validates decontamination methods for re-use of N95 masks Three methods effectively sanitized masks for limited re-use
A petition is being circulated in Stevensville to recall Mayor Brandon Dewey for violating his oath of office when he signed a $79,800 contract for services with First Call Computer Solutions that had not been authorized by the Stevensville Town Council. Leanna Rodabaugh of Stevensville submitted the petition on March 30, claiming in her sworn affidavit that Mayor Dewey had “assumed the power to make contracts, a power that is assigned to the Stevensville Town Council.” Deputy County Attorney Royce McCarty found the petition to meet the grounds and form for a recall petition and Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg approved the petition for circulation on April 7. The petitioner has 90 days from that date to collect the required number of signatures to have the petition placed on the ballot. Based on the number of registered voters in the Stevensville Town limits, 1,255 in the last election, the petitioner will have to collect 251 signatures to meet
the 20% required for placing it on the ballot. According to Plettenberg, this is not the first recall petition against the mayor of Stevensville that the county has reviewed. Three petitions were submitted one in November 2018, followed by one in December 2018 and another in January 2019. They all made claims of violations of law and official misconduct. None of them were found to meet the grounds or form requirements
when reviewed by the county attorney’s office and none were corrected and re-submitted. In the current petition, that did gain approval for circulation, Rodabaugh claims the mayor’s action in signing the contract without council approval resulted in bypassing the competitive bid and contract award process. She claims the Town Council was not allowed to participate
Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital (MDMH) has been closely monitoring the evolving situation of COVID-19. The Hospital’s Incident Management Team began meeting before any known cases in Montana. According to Alida Merritt, RN, MSN, Infection Control Director for MDMH, “In response to COVID-19 surge in the State of Washington, and before the first presumptive positive case in Montana, Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital held a tabletop meeting to discuss Ravalli County’s preparedness for an infectious disease outbreak. The hospital, Ravalli County Public Health, and County Board of Health, as well as other MDMH leaders, attended this session. This was the beginning of a collaborative effort to address
COVID-19 in the state.” John Bishop, CEO of Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, continued, “That tabletop exercise marked the start of what would become a series of decisions and steps to prepare our community and hospital for the coming months. Our decisions are made based on careful assessments of CDC guidelines, community health needs and usage patterns, and data around the pandemic. These steps are a part of an ongoing effort to ensure our team remains whole while providing the appropriate care, at the right time, in the right place.” COVID-19 has forced the government, hospitals, essential workers, businesses, and citizens around the world to think and behave differently. “Ravalli County has been fortunate to have
had only a few confirmed cases of COVID-19, and to date avoid community spread. This is due to the efforts put forth by the residents, the state, county, and your hospital,” said Bishop. “Slowing down the spread of the COVID-19 takes a village. Our community has proven we are in this together. Your healthcare providers and hospital team are very thankful for your commitment to follow the CDC guidelines and for the multiple donations of personal protective equipment; these efforts have given us the time to prepare.” The Hospital’s Incident Management Team guides the hospital’s COVID-19 preparedness efforts. This team consists of physicians, nurses, respira-
Some supporters of Stevensville Mayor Brandon Dewey are resurrecting old campaign signs to counter the petition effort.
See RECALL, page 2
Steps Daly Hospital has taken to prepare for COVID-19
See HOSPITAL, page 6
By Michael Howell A team of scientists, under the direction of Dr. Vincent Munster in the Laboratory of Virology at Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) in Hamilton, working with collaborators from the University of California at Los Angeles, recently released the latest results of a study that validates at least three ways in which N95 respirators may be effectively decontaminated and re-used for a limited number of times. This is great news for healthcare providers and others working on the frontlines in the COVID-19 pandemic which in only a few months has come to cover most of the globe. Unlike ordinary cloth face masks, carpenter’s dust masks and even surgical masks, N95 respirators have a special inner membrane that can, if it is properly fitted to the individual
N95 respirator. using it, actually block the virus. They are made for a single use by a single person. But these respirators are in short supply as demand has gone out the ceiling. Being able to confidently re-use them a couple of times after a decontamination process could provide a lot of relief. “People need to understand that these are not bandanas,” said RML Administrative Director Dr. Marshall Bloom. “These respirators have a specific function in certain kinds of healthcare settings and in certain kinds of laboratory work to protect people from infectious agents in the air,” said Bloom. He said places that use
them usually require the people to get “fit-tested” annually to make sure that when a respirator is on a person’s face it is sealed so that air doesn’t infiltrate around it. “If that respirator doesn’t fit properly, then the person wearing it is not getting the protection that they think they are getting,” said Bloom. He noted that one thing known to be able to defeat the effectiveness of these respirators is facial hair. He recalled a recent newspaper photograph showing a man delivering groceries wearing one of these respirators and he had a big beard. Bloom said the man See MASKS, page 7
At all Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital facilities, anyone entering (including all patients, hospital and medical staff, and essential visitors) has their temperature monitored and are asked if they have respiratory symptoms, if they have traveled recently, and if they have been in contact with people with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. Facemasks and appropriate respiratory and emergency services are available when appropriate. The no visitor policy and screening process ensures MDMH facilities are safe for staff and patients.