Coronavirus Media Briefing Friday 3-26-21

The University of Kansas Health System reports steady numbers of COVID-19 patients today. 13 people with the active virus are being treated, down from 14 yesterday. Of those patients, four are in the ICU, up from three yesterday. Three of those patients are on a ventilator, up from two yesterday. 17 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 18 yesterday. That’s a total of 30 patients, down from 32 yesterday. HaysMed has one patient today, after having zero patients yesterday.

On today’s Morning Media Update, breaking news about a new treatment for multiple myeloma patients that many are calling a cure. Also, Amanda Cackler, director of Quality and Safety at the health system joined Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control and David Wild, MD, VP of Performance Improvement, sitting in for Dr. Stites, to answer media and community questions.

Sometime today, the FDA is expected to approve a medical breakthrough treatment for multiple myeloma, the third leading blood cancer affecting Americans. Dr. Al-Ola Abdallah (Al-O-la Ab Doll ah), Director of Plasma Cell Disorders at the KU Cancer Center, says this is truly remarkable news, especially during a pandemic. He explained what multiple myeloma is and how it affects the immune system. These patients are already immunocompromised and are more vulnerable to COVID-19. They also have a higher mortality rate from the virus. He described the process, which is similar to existing CAR T-cell therapy, as a one-time treatment in which a patient’s own T cells are removed and engineered in a way to kill the cancer cells when put back in the body. In clinical trials he says the response rate exceeded 73 percent, with 33 percent of the patients going into complete remission and all with a much better quality of life. He calls that a “Great revolutionary treatment,” that 45 current patients will be able to get in a couple of weeks if the FDA grants approval today. He said to qualify, patients must have relapsed from previous treatments. For those with questions or who want to see if they qualify, call the nurse navigator at 913-588-9187 or go to the KU Cancer web site.

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. Time code for the question is in parentheses.

(10:15) Some city governments are extending mask mandates while others are letting them expire. With cases rising, how long should we keep wearing our masks? Right now, it’s hard to say exactly how long, but it’s definitely too soon as cases are rising and not enough people have been vaccinated.
(12:00) What are the most common long-haul symptoms you’re seeing in your specialty clinic? Loss of smell or taste, cough or shortness of breath, fatigue, and brain fog.
(13:40) Some churches are going to resume singing with masks and social distancing still required. Is that safe? It’s still a little risky, but with many older churchgoers now vaccinated, and masks and distancing enforced, it could be safe.
(14:50) What about Boy Scout summer camp? Is it safe to feed all those kids and adults in the dining hall as usual? Many camps, including Bartle, will be safely distributing food outside the dining hall for scouts and their leaders to bring back and eat at their individual campsites.
(16:40) I’ve heard there’s a new COVID-19 case at an area nursing home. How can that be if all of the residents have been vaccinated? It’s possible the virus was brought in by an employee. Nursing home employees have not been taking the vaccine in high numbers. It’s still possible for someone who’s vaccinated to get the virus, but the vaccine prevents serious illness and hospitalization.
(21:50) Would a 275-pound man get the same vaccine dose as a 100-pound woman? Yes, body weight and size don’t matter for these vaccines.
(23:25) Can a multiple myeloma patient get the vaccine, and does it work for them? Yes.
(24:50) If you get COVID-19 after receiving the first dose and have mild symptoms, can you participate in the clinical trials for outpatient medications at KUMC? Call Christina at 913-588-3851 or email her at cpantalunan@kume.edu to see if you qualify for the trial. You can still get monoclonal antibodies without being in the trial.
(26:05) I have a friend in Washington, D.C. whose work policy requires they quarantine if they are 90 days post vaccine and are exposed to COVID-19. Why is that necessary? Or is it? While it’s ultimately up to local health departments to decide, the CDC doesn’t say it’s necessary.
(27:35) I had neck pain after receiving my vaccine. Is it possible the vaccine caused the neck pain? Also, I took ibuprofen for the pain. Will my vaccine still be effective? It’s certainly possible for the vaccine to have caused the neck pain, but it most likely will go away quickly. Ibuprofen has no effect on the vaccine.
(28:40) Is there a live virus in the J&J vaccine? How does it differ from the other vaccines being offered? There is no live virus in the J&J vaccine. It differs in that it is only one dose and has different logistical and handling characteristics.
(29:30) It's been reported that people who have had COVID-19 may not need two doses of the vaccine. Is that true? All the data shows you need both doses in order to get the longest immune response.
(31:10) A former FDA Commissioner was quoted in the news as saying between those who have had COVID-19 and those who have been vaccinated, the U.S. could be at 50% herd immunity. Do you agree and is that enough to stop wearing masks and go back to life as before? Herd immunity is 65-70 percent of the population vaccinated. 50 percent may be possible at this point, but it’s not enough to stop wearing masks and resume life as before.
(33:40) I had strong side effects from the first shot of the vaccine, but then I had COVID-19 this winter. Will I likely have an even stronger reaction to the second shot? Reactions are extremely variable, and nothing has been published to suggest this.
(34:55) What is the average age of people being hospitalized now? Where and how are they catching COVID-19? The age ranges from 19 to 92. The number of patients 75 and over has significantly decreased because of vaccinations. The average age is in the 60’s. It’s hard to see where they’re coming from or how they’re contracting it, but they are not coming from nursing homes like before the vaccinations began.
(37:00) My daughter is a month out from her second vaccine. Last week she went to urgent care with strep throat symptoms, but the test was negative. Should they have tested her for COVID-19? They didn't offer since she was so far out from her vaccine. Even if the test is not offered, it’s always best to ask if you want to be sure.
(38:30) Do we know any more about the Kansas woman whose obituary said she died from the COVID-19 vaccine? Anaphylaxis is possible with any vaccine, but we don’t yet know the circumstances of this patient’s case.

Monday, March 29 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. We answer the question: Does COVID-19 cause diabetes? There have been reports that some people treated for COVID-19 are later diagnosed with diabetes. Dr. David Robbins, director of the KU Diabetes Institute, will join us to sort it all out, and we will talk with one of his diabetes patients who caught COVID-19.

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

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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.

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(10:15) Some city governments are extending mask mandates while others are letting them expire. With cases rising, how long should we keep wearing our masks? Right now, it’s hard to say exactly how long, but it’s definitely too soon as cases are rising and not enough people have been vaccinated.
(12:00) What are the most common long-haul symptoms you’re seeing in your specialty clinic? Loss of smell or taste, cough or shortness of breath, fatigue, and brain fog.
(13:40) Some churches are going to resume singing with masks and social distancing still required. Is that safe? It’s still a little risky, but with many older churchgoers now vaccinated, and masks and distancing enforced, it could be safe.
(14:50) What about Boy Scout summer camp? Is it safe to feed all those kids and adults in the dining hall as usual? Many camps, including Bartle, will be safely distributing food outside the dining hall for scouts and their leaders to bring back and eat at their individual campsites.
(16:40) I’ve heard there’s a new COVID-19 case at an area nursing home. How can that be if all of the residents have been vaccinated? It’s possible the virus was brought in by an employee. Nursing home employees have not been taking the vaccine in high numbers. It’s still possible for someone who’s vaccinated to get the virus, but the vaccine prevents serious illness and hospitalization.
(21:50) Would a 275-pound man get the same vaccine dose as a 100-pound woman? Yes, body weight and size don’t matter for these vaccines.
(23:25) Can a multiple myeloma patient get the vaccine, and does it work for them? Yes.
(24:50) If you get COVID-19 after receiving the first dose and have mild symptoms, can you participate in the clinical trials for outpatient medications at KUMC? Call Christina at 913-588-3851 or email her at cpantalunan@kume.edu to see if you qualify for the trial. You can still get monoclonal antibodies without being in the trial.
(26:05) I have a friend in Washington, D.C. whose work policy requires they quarantine if they are 90 days post vaccine and are exposed to COVID-19. Why is that necessary? Or is it? While it’s ultimately up to local health departments to decide, the CDC doesn’t say it’s necessary.
(27:35) I had neck pain after receiving my vaccine. Is it possible the vaccine caused the neck pain? Also, I took ibuprofen for the pain. Will my vaccine still be effective? It’s certainly possible for the vaccine to have caused the neck pain, but it most likely will go away quickly. Ibuprofen has no effect on the vaccine.
(28:40) Is there a live virus in the J&J vaccine? How does it differ from the other vaccines being offered? There is no live virus in the J&J vaccine. It differs in that it is only one dose and has different logistical and handling characteristics.
(29:30) It's been reported that people who have had COVID-19 may not need two doses of the vaccine. Is that true? All the data shows you need both doses in order to get the longest immune response.
(31:10) A former FDA Commissioner was quoted in the news as saying between those who have had COVID-19 and those who have been vaccinated, the U.S. could be at 50% herd immunity. Do you agree and is that enough to stop wearing masks and go back to life as before? Herd immunity is 65-70 percent of the population vaccinated. 50 percent may be possible at this point, but it’s not enough to stop wearing masks and resume life as before.
(33:40) I had strong side effects from the first shot of the vaccine, but then I had COVID-19 this winter. Will I likely have an even stronger reaction to the second shot? Reactions are extremely variable, and nothing has been published to suggest this.
(34:55) What is the average age of people being hospitalized now? Where and how are they catching COVID-19? The age ranges from 19 to 92. The number of patients 75 and over has significantly decreased because of vaccinations. The average age is in the 60’s. It’s hard to see where they’re coming from or how they’re contracting it, but they are not coming from nursing homes like before the vaccinations began.
(37:00) My daughter is a month out from her second vaccine. Last week she went to urgent care with strep throat symptoms, but the test was negative. Should they have tested her for COVID-19? They didn't offer since she was so far out from her vaccine. Even if the test is not offered, it’s always best to ask if you want to be sure.
(38:30) Do we know any more about the Kansas woman whose obituary said she died from the COVID-19 vaccine? Anaphylaxis is possible with any vaccine, but we don’t yet know the circumstances of this patient’s case.