Another drop in the number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System today. 50 people with the active virus are hospitalized, down from 54 yesterday. 10 patients are in the ICU, down from 11 yesterday. Eight of those ICU patients are on ventilators today, down from nine yesterday. 55 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, up from 51 yesterday. That’s a total of 105 patients, same as yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 16 COVID-19 inpatients, up from 13 yesterday, with 10 of those active patients and six in the recovery phase.
On today’s Morning Media Update, Amanda Cackler, director of quality and safety, joined Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control and Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer, to help answer media and community questions. We also had an update from the Community Blood Center.
Before getting to the questions, the panel discussed two new vaccines, one by Novavax and the other by Johnson & Johnson. Novavax reports a 90% effectiveness with two shots, but less than 50% effective against the South African variant. Johnson & Johnson reports a 72% effective rate with one shot and 57% effective against the South African variant. They feel this shows a booster of some kind will probably be needed. They also noted 80% of health system employees have now been vaccinated and there has been a noticeable drop in the COVID-19 absentee rate.
Chelsey Smith from the Community Blood Center gave an update and said their blood supply has improved after a really good December. They have been able to go from a two to three-day supply to a five-day supply, but they still need a seven-day supply. They are still not able to have blood drives at big companies but have been able to hold them at some schools and churches. They are also offering free antibody testing to all who donate. To make an appointment, go to their web site, https://savealifenow.org/donate-blood/covid-19-and-blood-donation/
Here are the media and community questions in the order the panel addressed them, followed by the short answer. See the video for their full answers and comments.
- Are hospitals having COVID-19 deaths attributed to the vaccine? No. The deaths are related to the disease itself or the patients’ underlying conditions.
- What is the difference between dying of COVID-19 and dying with COVID-19? A patient dies of COVID-19 if it was the primary cause of death on the death certificate. A patient dies with COVID-19 if it is listed as a secondary cause.
- Can taking riboflavin prevent you from getting COVID-19 and keep you well? No, it is a B vitamin and there’s no evidence it prevents the virus.
- I have a couple of children with sickle cell. Will they be eligible to get the vaccine some day? Can adults with sickle cell safely take the COVID-19 vaccine? It will not prevent children from getting the vaccine when it’s available for them. It’s safe for adults with sickle cell.
- My relative had the Pfizer vaccine. She and her boss, after two weeks, have not shown any antibodies when tested. How long does it take for antibodies to show after the vaccine? It’s not usual to test for antibodies after being vaccinated, and a person would test negative if they have not had COVID-19.
- Do people who do not have insurance qualify for monoclonal antibody infusions? Yes, Medicare will reimburse providers for that treatment.
- Should kids at school double mask? A single mask is effective. There is no proven benefit for double masking.
- Is there concern with the AstraZeneca vaccine being only 70% effective compared to the 95% effectiveness of mRNA vaccines? Will the difference in efficacy slow herd immunity or give the virus more opportunity to mutate? 70% is better than many vaccines such as influenza and far better than getting the disease.
- Is it OK to mix the vaccines? The CDC says only in “exceptional circumstances.” You should do your best to get the same manufacturer’s dose for your second shot.
- Where can someone go to be assessed for long hauler symptoms if they are not a patient at the health system? Your primary care doctor can make referrals. The hope is to eventually open the long haul clinic to the general public.
- True or false? I read you shouldn't take anti-inflammatory drugs prior to getting the COVID-19 vaccine. False. It’s OK to take before getting the shot, especially if you’ve had previous side effects and want to prevent them.
- With one in thirteen people testing positive for COVID-19, is contact tracing still happening? Yes, it’s still an important part of preventing the virus from spreading.
- I have Hashimoto's disease and worry about taking the COVID-19 vaccine. How will it affect me? Any advice to minimize potential side effects? It’s safe, and you have no greater risk of side effects than anyone else.
- Why do some people have worse symptoms after the first dose? What's happening and what does "worse" mean? It’s hard to say why symptoms differ between various people. But the side effects of COVID-19 are far worse than from the vaccine.
Monday, January 30 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. The Presidents and CEOs from the Kansas and Missouri Hospital Associations join the group. Chad Austin and Herb Kuhn will share the pandemic impact on hospitals on both sides of the state line, the impact of President Biden's health agenda on KS and MO, plus how COVID-19 is affecting the appetite and status of Medicaid expansion in both states.
ATTENTION: media procedure for calling in:
The meeting is available by Zoom, both video and by phone. To join the Zoom Meeting by video, click https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628
Telephone dial-in Participants: For those without Zoom, call 1-312-626-6799, meeting ID: 782 897 8628.
The feed is also available via TVU grid. The TVU source is UoK_Health and is being made available to all.
Feel free to send questions in advance to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.