KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries said it's learning of some scabies cases after bitter coldness brought in a record number of people to its warming center.
Warming shelters throughout Knox County were operating after a snowstorm hit the region two weeks ago. However, the closure of some shelters and temperatures in the teens brought in hundreds to KARM, according to the ministry.
KARM said they've learned of 10 people, who stayed at the center, being diagnosed with scabies. This is something that the group sees annually.
"You get people from really all over, that are transient or maybe camping or who wouldn't normally utilize indoor types of shelter or services. Because of that, every year here at KARM, we have cases of scabies," KARM's Vice President of Programs Andrew Church said. "Last week, we saw some cases of scabies and we're talking 10 [cases] and under—which is way below our normal seasonal numbers, if you were to look back to last year and before."
Church said a big issue is the fact that a prescription is needed for medication so the ministry reached out to the Knox County Health Department for help.
"We called our friends at the health department and Dr. Edwards and her team were able to hand us plenty of medication for those few cases that we had," Church said.
KARM said they've followed protocol and people are spaced out as much as possible at the warming center but that can prove to be challenging with such an influx of people.