Graphic Footage of a Montana Hospital’s COVID ICU

With a population just over 1 million, Montana has become a COVID 19 hotspot, after seeing a huge spike in positive cases over the last few weeks. Each day we receive updates from around the state, regarding positive cases and recoveries. The numbers seem to reflect on the population of each individual county or the households that have large families living together.

Yellowstone county is home to the largest city in the state. Billings boast a population of roughly 171,000 people. and has reported over 6,000 cases of COVID 19. Missoula County, the second largest in population has only reported 2,300 cases. These numbers continue to grow at an alarming rate, and considering our rather small population, the virus continues to spread. So much so, that it caught the attention of NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

According to the YouTube clip from the news program

NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez was granted access inside the ICU at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Billings, Montana. A nurse says he’d held the hand of every patient who has died and that the staff is at a breaking point.

The trend continues to go up with COVID cases here in Big Sky Country. With over 1,000 new cases reported each day in the state and a total of over 10,000 active cases. Our only hope is to continue social distancing, wearing our masks when required and washing our hands. The curve will soon flatten and hopefully Montana will no longer be on the front line in the battle against COVID.