Day 29 – Thu. Apr. 9, 2020

Pictured, l. to r. – Dr. Rick Smith and Paula Stone.

See Key Notes, Statistics, and Video below for Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson’s news conference to update on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today’s news conference showed numbers that say Arkansas might be flattening its curve. The number of hospitalizations is down; however, there were 3 more deaths in the last 24 hours.

Guest speakers emphasized mental health – Dr. Rick Smith, Director of Research at UAMS, and Paula Stone, Deputy Director at the Department of Human Services. Dr. Nate Smith, State Secretary of Health listed the current statistics for COVID-19 patients as usual.

The Governor had several charts to show where Arkansas and its counties fall in line according to statistics of COVID-19 cases. This first chart (Fig. A) shows Saline County may have hit a peak on April 4, 2020 and has had slower growth in cases since then. It shows 30 cases, 1 death and 3 recoveries for the county. It shows Saline County’s first case on March 12th, which precipitated a four-county school closure the following day. Scroll for more story and click images to enlarge.

: Above, Fig. A – COVID-19 Cases in Arkansas by County

: Above, Fig. B – Hospitalizations by State per 100,000

: Above, Fig. C – Hospitalizations by State per 100,000

: Above, Fig. D – Expected vs Actual Hospital Bed Use in Arkansas

: Above, Fig. E – Number of Active COVID-19 Cases vs Recovered Cases

The Governor discouraged out-of-state travel right now by Arkansans, since the rate of COVID-19 cases is higher in other states. Dr. Nate Smith stated that if you came to Arkansas (or returned) from another state or country, you should self-quarantine for 14 days. He said if you have symptoms, you should get tested. Hutchinson went on to say that although we will have good weather this weekend, that residents should restrain themselves and continue to take caution, don’t take unnecessary trips, wear a mask and keep a 6-foot distance.

Dr. Nate Smith noted the difference between quarantine and isolation:

Dr. Rick Smith had a message of relaxation, asking people to take a deep breath and several times a day. He compared the pandemic to last year’s flood in Arkansas, saying that the flood ended slowly and we returned to normal activities.

For people with underlying conditions, Dr. Rick Smith stated, “This is not the time to stop your treatment or to relax those activities that you know are helpful to you.”

Paula Stone stated, “We want everyone to know that every Arkansan has the ability to access a mental health or addiction service.” She said that the Department of Human Services has a Mental Health and Addiction Services Support Line at 844-763-0198 that is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and most if not all providers offer help through telemedicine.

Dr. Nate Smith, State Secretary of Health listed the current statistics for COVID-19 patients below: