Coronavirus Media Briefing Friday 5-21-21

The University of Kansas Health System reports a steady number of COVID-19 patients today. Seven people with the active virus are being treated, same as yesterday. Of those patients, three are in the ICU, up from two yesterday. One patient is on a ventilator, down from two yesterday. The number of recovering patients is not available, so therefore neither is the total number of patients. There were 20 total patients yesterday. HaysMed has one active and two recovering patients, compared to one active and one recovering yesterday.

On today’s Morning Media Update, Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, was joined by Amanda Cackler, director of Quality and Safety, to answer media and community questions. After the questions, they also introduced a special guest who explained why the studio was filled with colorful artwork.

Here are the media and community questions in the order the panel addressed them, followed by the short answer. Time code for the question is in parentheses. See the video for their full answers and comments.

(1:45) What’s the latest on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome and kids with COVID-19? Are you seeing it at the health system? It’s still a risk, but we’re not seeing an increase in cases here.
(3:35) Is anemia a possible side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine? Anemia is a very common medical condition with many causes which should be evaluated and treated by your doctor. It’s not a known side effect from the vaccine.
(4:40) If you’ve had COVID-19 are you safe to be around three months later? How does getting vaccinated help at this point? You’re safe ten days after the onset of symptoms. While you have some natural immunity, the vaccine will increase that immunity.
(5:35) Are there any fully vaccinated patients in the ICU or on a ventilator? One fully vaccinated patient who had no symptoms but tested positive on admission is in the hospital, but not in the ICU.
(7:25) How are Dr. Hawkinson’s children doing after getting their vaccinations live on Monday’s program? They are both doing great, having only had shoulder aches, which went away within 30-36 hours.
(8:10) My 13-year-old had a mild case of COVID-19 in January. Do we need to rush to get her vaccinated since she likely has immunity? How long should we wait? Don’t wait, there is still great benefit from the vaccine vs. any natural immunity from the disease itself.
(9:10) If you’ve had COVID-19 and are not planning to get the vaccine, can you be asymptomatic and still transmit the virus? Yes, there is still a risk of transmitting the virus.
(10:40) The coronavirus variant first detected in India has been identified in dozens of countries. It is now designated by the World Health Organization as a "variant of concern." What does that mean to us living in Kansas? It means we should all get vaccinated because the vaccine provides protection against these variants.
(12:15) The more I read about the J&J vaccine, the more I worry I made a bad choice. Do I have cause to worry and will I be able to take mRNA vaccines when it comes time for a booster? It was not a bad choice, with a 72 percent efficacy rate in the United States. You probably can get a different manufacturer’s booster vaccine, but we don’t have enough information yet to say for sure.
(15:35) When someone comes to the hospital for medical reasons that are not COVID-19 related and tests positive during the screening, are they admitted to the COVID unit? If they are showing symptoms, yes. If not, they are admitted to the unit where they were going to get their specialty care.
(17:20) Is it possible one of those patients could spread COVID-19, even if asymptomatic? Yes, there is a risk, but all precautions are taken.
(17:55) Do you count these people not in the COVID unit with the daily COVID numbers? Yes.
(18:15) I got a huge rash on my arm after receiving the Moderna vaccine. It went away after a couple of days, but will future boosters also leave me with a rash? Most of the time the rash, if it comes back, will not be as severe. It is temporary either way.
(19:45) Since Pfizer is making their vaccine easier to store with just refrigeration instead of deep freezing, does that mean there will be more preservatives in the vaccine, and will that need to be tested against side effects? There are no preservatives in any of the vaccines.
(20:30) My mom has rheumatoid arthritis. Her serology test for COVID-19 antibodies taken three months ago after being fully vaccinated came back negative. Does that mean she has zero protection against COVID-19 and will forever need a mask? No, that’s not what that means. As far as measuring the antibodies after vaccination, we know that those aren’t really correlated.
(22:20) How much does a COVID-19 shot cost? COVID-19 vaccines are free, especially in mass clinics. Some private physician offices may charge a fee, which is typically billed to insurance.
(22:50) What’s the wisdom of making booster vaccines now if they turn out not to be needed, especially with large parts of the world not having received a first dose? Unfortunately, America has a glut of vaccines, and is increasing their supply to the rest of the world. All medical evidence now points to the likelihood of needing boosters.
(24:55) I heard that poor oral health and gum disease can increase my chances of getting COVID-19? How? And, does it work the other way? Will COVID-19 weaken my gums and teeth? There is no known correlation between poor oral health and increased chance of COVID-19.
(27:00) Recently, the Pan American Health Organization reports 40% of the world's COVID-19 deaths happened in the Americas. That sounds high. Are you still seeing deaths from COVID-19 at the health system? Yes, but at a smaller rate. We have had several this week.
(28:10) Should high school athletes be vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to participating in sports? Yes, it’s safe for high school athletes and can prevent the spread of transmission among the team.
(28:45) I’m over 70 and fully vaccinated and started a fitness class inside with eight people socially distanced and I wore my mask. Is it safe? Outdoors are always safer than indoors, but the recent CDC guidance says fully vaccinated people can participate in indoor activities with maskless unvaccinated people.

After answering the day’s questions, the panel introduced Bridget Patterson (31:40), program director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas, who delivered 30 colorful hand painted canvases to the health system earlier this week, 18 of which were on display in the studio. On each is a printed thought reflecting well wishes for nurses and all they do, especially in the pandemic. They will be displayed through the hospital. The artists are children and adults with epilepsy who take part in the foundation’s Studio E Art Therapy program and wanted to give back and thank the healthcare workers for their hard work and dedication during the pandemic.

Monday, May 24 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Dr. Jessica Kalender-Rich, member of the White House Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes and geriatric medicine physician is back to tell us what's happening in long term care facilities and what we all can learn from a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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(1:45) What’s the latest on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome and kids with COVID-19? Are you seeing it at the health system? It’s still a risk, but we’re not seeing an increase in cases here.
(3:35) Is anemia a possible side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine? Anemia is a very common medical condition with many causes which should be evaluated and treated by your doctor. It’s not a known side effect from the vaccine.
(4:40) If you’ve had COVID-19 are you safe to be around three months later? How does getting vaccinated help at this point? You’re safe ten days after the onset of symptoms. While you have some natural immunity, the vaccine will increase that immunity.
(5:35) Are there any fully vaccinated patients in the ICU or on a ventilator? One fully vaccinated patient who had no symptoms but tested positive on admission is in the hospital, but not in the ICU.
(7:25) How are Dr. Hawkinson’s children doing after getting their vaccinations live on Monday’s program? They are both doing great, having only had shoulder aches, which went away within 30-36 hours.
(8:10) My 13-year-old had a mild case of COVID-19 in January. Do we need to rush to get her vaccinated since she likely has immunity? How long should we wait? Don’t wait, there is still great benefit from the vaccine vs. any natural immunity from the disease itself.
(9:10) If you’ve had COVID-19 and are not planning to get the vaccine, can you be asymptomatic and still transmit the virus? Yes, there is still a risk of transmitting the virus.
(10:40) The coronavirus variant first detected in India has been identified in dozens of countries. It is now designated by the World Health Organization as a "variant of concern." What does that mean to us living in Kansas? It means we should all get vaccinated because the vaccine provides protection against these variants.
(12:15) The more I read about the J&J vaccine, the more I worry I made a bad choice. Do I have cause to worry and will I be able to take mRNA vaccines when it comes time for a booster? It was not a bad choice, with a 72 percent efficacy rate in the United States. You probably can get a different manufacturer’s booster vaccine, but we don’t have enough information yet to say for sure.
(15:35) When someone comes to the hospital for medical reasons that are not COVID-19 related and tests positive during the screening, are they admitted to the COVID unit? If they are showing symptoms, yes. If not, they are admitted to the unit where they were going to get their specialty care.
(17:20) Is it possible one of those patients could spread COVID-19, even if asymptomatic? Yes, there is a risk, but all precautions are taken.
(17:55) Do you count these people not in the COVID unit with the daily COVID numbers? Yes.
(18:15) I got a huge rash on my arm after receiving the Moderna vaccine. It went away after a couple of days, but will future boosters also leave me with a rash? Most of the time the rash, if it comes back, will not be as severe. It is temporary either way.
(19:45) Since Pfizer is making their vaccine easier to store with just refrigeration instead of deep freezing, does that mean there will be more preservatives in the vaccine, and will that need to be tested against side effects? There are no preservatives in any of the vaccines.
(20:30) My mom has rheumatoid arthritis. Her serology test for COVID-19 antibodies taken three months ago after being fully vaccinated came back negative. Does that mean she has zero protection against COVID-19 and will forever need a mask? No, that’s not what that means. As far as measuring the antibodies after vaccination, we know that those aren’t really correlated.
(22:20) How much does a COVID-19 shot cost? COVID-19 vaccines are free, especially in mass clinics. Some private physician offices may charge a fee, which is typically billed to insurance.
(22:50) What’s the wisdom of making booster vaccines now if they turn out not to be needed, especially with large parts of the world not having received a first dose? Unfortunately, America has a glut of vaccines, and is increasing their supply to the rest of the world. All medical evidence now points to the likelihood of needing boosters.
(24:55) I heard that poor oral health and gum disease can increase my chances of getting COVID-19? How? And, does it work the other way? Will COVID-19 weaken my gums and teeth? There is no known correlation between poor oral health and increased chance of COVID-19.
(27:00) Recently, the Pan American Health Organization reports 40% of the world's COVID-19 deaths happened in the Americas. That sounds high. Are you still seeing deaths from COVID-19 at the health system? Yes, but at a smaller rate. We have had several this week.
(28:10) Should high school athletes be vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to participating in sports? Yes, it’s safe for high school athletes and can prevent the spread of transmission among the team.
(28:45) I’m over 70 and fully vaccinated and started a fitness class inside with eight people socially distanced and I wore my mask. Is it safe? Outdoors are always safer than indoors, but the recent CDC guidance says fully vaccinated people can participate in indoor activities with maskless unvaccinated people.