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Interfaith Sanctuary battles the biggest COVID-19 surge yet

“Our staff is being trained how to measure oxygen levels, and keeping track of guests, it's very very stressful because the variant behaves different."

BOISE, Idaho — The Interfaith Sanctuary homeless shelter is battling the biggest COVID-19 surge they have seen since the pandemic began last year.

When guests from the shelter test positive with COVID-19 they are sent to a COVID-19 positive hotel to quarantine. The City of Boise partnered with the shelter to provide the hospital as a quarantine option from FEMA funding to cover the costs.

The number of guests Interfaith sent to quarantine at the positive COVID-19 hospital in the past was 12. As of Sept. 20, 2021, that number more than doubled to 27 guests now battling the virus.

“It's completely different from when we were first doing the covid hotel with COVID-19 because if they were moving into the hotel, they were pretty stable,” said Jodi Peterson-Stigers, the executive director of the shelter.

Peterson-Stigers said not only are more shelter guests catching the delta variant, but their symptoms are more severe.

“The guests who are coming now that are unvaccinated, they might be fine for five days and then they take a tremendous dip,” she said.  

She added that the uptake in COVID-19 guests is stretching resources thin and forcing employees to take on new roles.

“Our staff is being trained how to measure oxygen levels, and keeping track of guests, it's very very stressful because the variant behaves different,” she said.

In one week, 27 guests tested positive for the coronavirus and were sent to the shelter's COVID-19 positive hotel, which has a total of 42 rooms. 

Peterson-Stigers said three guests were sent to the hospital and one who was not fully vaccinated, passed away from the virus.

“I was at the hotel with a guest and he went from sitting up and eating to not being able to get a breath, he was very red and it happened probably within two hours’ time,” she said. “The paramedics got there quickly and were able to get him to the hospital, I don't even know how he is doing, he's very sick, it’s just scary.”

Peterson-Stigers said initially they thought a hotel with 42 rooms would be plenty because their biggest surge was only 12 cases, but now she is worried that a bigger surge is ahead.

“This is a lot of trauma, we are definitely looking to step up and do this again because someone has to but it’s very scary, we are not trained to do this, we are learning to ask quickly as we can but the responsibility is daunting,” she said.

The shelter plans to bring in a nurse from Boise State to help with guests battling COVID-19.

Interfaith Sanctuary is in need of hygiene supplies to donate, goods can be dropped off at or delivered to their location at 1620 W River St, Boise, ID 83702.

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