INDIANAPOLIS — Officials at IU Health have committed to share weekly updates about the fight against COVID-19 in order to give the public a transparent look at the health system's battle.
"We are not complacent about our supplies. We are planning for the surge to be even greater than expected, we are looking for alternate resources, we are pursuing reuse of PPE, resterilization of PPE as well," Dr. Jonathan Gottlieb, chief medical officer at IU Health, said. "The message that you hear nationally is that this is a devastating disease but most people who get it recover fully."
Gottlieb said it make sense why most of the focus is on the patients who need to be hospitalized.
"Isn't it just human nature and natural, these are compelling, traumatic, tragic stories," Gottlieb said. "Families who've been devastated by this unprecedented disease."
IU Health has completed 5,673 COVID-19 tests. As of April 6, there are 308 people hospitalized for the novel coronavirus in IU Health hospitals, 225 of those are confirmed cases. They're waiting on results for the other 83.
The health system's data also shows the number of IU Health employees who've been tested — 2,130 of which 235 turned out to be positive. IU Health has 2,295 workers that were under quarantine and 1,254 have returned to work.
Gottlieb said the health system is hoping those who have had COVID-19 and recovered are now immune to the virus.
"We're hoping that. That's certainly the case with many other viral diseases," Gottlieb said. "I would not at this point say there's no chance. We're in the middle of studying the antibody response to the disease and the protection provided."
The Indiana State Health Commissioner on Monday said Indiana's recovery rate so far is between 97 and 98 percent.
