Miscellaneous
In the Navajo Nation--a sovereign territory spanning 27,000 square miles--responding to Covid-19 comes with unique challenges. A third of residents don't have access to running water. Grocery stores are few and far between. And many must travel hours to reach the nearest hospital. While the nation has the highest case rate of any state in the country, it's been successful in containing the spread of the virus through stay at home orders and strict weekend curfews. When the pandemic began, the territory quickly ramped up testing and contact tracing investigations. The Navajo Nation now boasts the highest testing rate in the country with roughly 40% of all residents having been tested for the virus. On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Dr. Jonathan Iralu, an infectious disease doctor at Gallup Indian Medical Center in Gallup, New Mexico. He discusses how he and his staff adapted to treat an influx of patients during the peak of the outbreak and what they're doing now to ensure continued access to care.