Coronavirus Media Briefing Friday 5-28-21

The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System is holding steady today. Six people with the active virus are being treated, the same as yesterday. Of those patients, one is in the ICU, same as yesterday. Zero patients are on a ventilator, the same as yesterday. The number of recovering patients, those still in the hospital but out of the active infectious phase, remains at 12. That’s 18 total patients, the same as yesterday. HaysMed has one active and zero recovering patients, the same as 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 introduced a guest from the Community Blood Center to explain why there’s a critical shortage of blood in the Metro area.

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.

(1:50) COVID-19 case numbers across the country are rising, especially among the unvaccinated. Are you concerned? Yes, it’s what we expected. Those not vaccinated are the most susceptible to the disease and the most likely to need hospitalization.
(4:10) With this Memorial Day weekend being the first holiday weekend since health officials say it’s possible to see each other unmasked and to travel, what should people keep in mind? Remember that unmasking is only for those who have been vaccinated. It’s not a free-for-all. The risk is still there, especially for large gatherings in places like the Lake of the Ozarks.
(6:10) Can you comment on the outbreak of COVID-19 in Livingston and Lynn Counties in North Central Missouri? Contact tracing is still happening in outbreaks to find out how they’re spreading. Outbreaks are usually a result of what was going on two to three weeks ago. Rural counties have been slow to get vaccinated, even with a glut of nearly expired doses on the shelf.
(8:50) Are asymptomatic people who are vaccinated still likely to spread the virus? Why is unmasking allowed if there are still a number of these people around? The vaccine protects you from severe disease, hospitalization and death. It also reduces the likelihood you’ll be a spreader. But it’s important to know the vulnerability of the folks you’re spending time with.
(10:35) My granddaughter is fully vaccinated and will be around unmasked, unvaccinated people. How long does she need to quarantine before coming to see us? I am post-transplant. If you are fully vaccinated, it is safe to be around unvaccinated people. The risk for being unvaccinated is really posing a greater risk to other unvaccinated people. There is no specific guidance to quarantine in this situation.
(13:20) Is there a way to know for sure if my body effectively responded to the mRNA vaccine? I'm taking cancer medication and worried I'm not protected. There is not a test you can get to identify what your immunity status is post-vaccine. The guidance is not to check for antibody levels because there are more things that contribute to the immune response than just antibody levels.
(14:40) Do you think children age 4 to 8 will ever be vaccinated for COVID-19? Yes, those studies are in progress. Hopefully we’ll know something by the end of the year.
(14:55) The COVID-19 vaccines do not cost us anything. Will the booster shots be free too? No current information is available. It may depend on whether there is still a public health emergency that requires more vaccine uptake.
(16:00) Will booster vaccines have to go through testing and approvals like the current vaccines? The latest understanding is no they will not since they will only need adjustments to combat different variants, just like the flu shot is adjusted each year.
(17:00) How long after having COVID-19 should you wait to get the vaccine? After 10 days of isolation, you are safe to get the vaccine.
(17:30) I had two individuals tell me that over-the-counter pain relievers taken to relieve body aches after getting the vaccine weakens the efficacy of the shot. Is that true? No, they have no effect on the vaccine efficacy.
(18:03) We've heard of people being hospitalized after getting the Pfizer shot. Does this mean the shot is not 95% effective against COVID-19 as first reported? It does not mean that the vaccine is not effective. On the contrary, we are seeing that it is effective.
(19:30) My latest CT shows ground glass lungs after COVID-19. What can be done for this post-transplant? This simply means there are changes to your lungs that don’t look like normal lungs and are a common side effect after COVID-19. Doctors have several treatments for this condition.
(22:05) I’m starting to walk with someone who won’t get the shot. Should I mask, or ask them to, or do we both go maskless? The recommendation is the fully vaccinated person does not need to wear a mask, but the unvaccinated person does. It’s best to stay six feet apart when walking.
(22:05) For indoor youth sports, should unvaccinated kids still mask? We’re still learning about this. We’ve had a whole school year where indoor sports took place without significant outbreaks.
(24:00) If fully vaccinated, it is safe to eat at restaurants indoors over the long Memorial Weekend? According to CDC guidelines, this is safe. It’s still a good idea to be aware of your surroundings and not get too close to those outside your bubble.
(26:00) With vaccination rates varying widely across Kansas and Missouri, are we treading water with the COVID-19, and does the long holiday weekend pose a threat? We’re not treading water, but we’re going to have to wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. The risk is still there for the unvaccinated to gather, especially in large groups.

After answering the day’s questions, the panel introduced Chelsey Smith (27:50), with the Community Blood Center, who explained why the chronic blood shortage has continued into 2021. Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, and with it a higher need for blood and fewer people donating. She says 25,000 donors who were actively giving before the pandemic have not come back. That, combined with an increase in surgeries and a lack of available places for blood drives this past year has put the blood center in a real bind. She urges everyone, even those vaccinated, to go online to https://savealifenow.org/ and make an appointment to donate.

Tuesday, June 1 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update since we’re off for Memorial Day on Monday. Dr. Jeff Burns, co-director of Kansas University Alzheimer's Disease Center has an update of the impact of COVID-19 on their patients, plus news of a new drug that could receive FDA approval June 7. If the FDA green lights Aducanumab, (Ah- do-Can u mab) it will be the first new Alzheimer's drug in nearly 19 years.

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(1:50) COVID-19 case numbers across the country are rising, especially among the unvaccinated. Are you concerned? Yes, it’s what we expected. Those not vaccinated are the most susceptible to the disease and the most likely to need hospitalization.
(4:10) With this Memorial Day weekend being the first holiday weekend since health officials say it’s possible to see each other unmasked and to travel, what should people keep in mind? Remember that unmasking is only for those who have been vaccinated. It’s not a free-for-all. The risk is still there, especially for large gatherings in places like the Lake of the Ozarks.
(6:10) Can you comment on the outbreak of COVID-19 in Livingston and Lynn Counties in North Central Missouri? Contact tracing is still happening in outbreaks to find out how they’re spreading. Outbreaks are usually a result of what was going on two to three weeks ago. Rural counties have been slow to get vaccinated, even with a glut of nearly expired doses on the shelf.
(8:50) Are asymptomatic people who are vaccinated still likely to spread the virus? Why is unmasking allowed if there are still a number of these people around? The vaccine protects you from severe disease, hospitalization and death. It also reduces the likelihood you’ll be a spreader. But it’s important to know the vulnerability of the folks you’re spending time with.
(10:35) My granddaughter is fully vaccinated and will be around unmasked, unvaccinated people. How long does she need to quarantine before coming to see us? I am post-transplant. If you are fully vaccinated, it is safe to be around unvaccinated people. The risk for being unvaccinated is really posing a greater risk to other unvaccinated people. There is no specific guidance to quarantine in this situation.
(13:20) Is there a way to know for sure if my body effectively responded to the mRNA vaccine? I'm taking cancer medication and worried I'm not protected. There is not a test you can get to identify what your immunity status is post-vaccine. The guidance is not to check for antibody levels because there are more things that contribute to the immune response than just antibody levels.
(14:40) Do you think children age 4 to 8 will ever be vaccinated for COVID-19? Yes, those studies are in progress. Hopefully we’ll know something by the end of the year.
(14:55) The COVID-19 vaccines do not cost us anything. Will the booster shots be free too? No current information is available. It may depend on whether there is still a public health emergency that requires more vaccine uptake.
(16:00) Will booster vaccines have to go through testing and approvals like the current vaccines? The latest understanding is no they will not since they will only need adjustments to combat different variants, just like the flu shot is adjusted each year.
(17:00) How long after having COVID-19 should you wait to get the vaccine? After 10 days of isolation, you are safe to get the vaccine.
(17:30) I had two individuals tell me that over-the-counter pain relievers taken to relieve body aches after getting the vaccine weakens the efficacy of the shot. Is that true? No, they have no effect on the vaccine efficacy.
(18:03) We've heard of people being hospitalized after getting the Pfizer shot. Does this mean the shot is not 95% effective against COVID-19 as first reported? It does not mean that the vaccine is not effective. On the contrary, we are seeing that it is effective.
(19:30) My latest CT shows ground glass lungs after COVID-19. What can be done for this post-transplant? This simply means there are changes to your lungs that don’t look like normal lungs and are a common side effect after COVID-19. Doctors have several treatments for this condition.
(22:05) I’m starting to walk with someone who won’t get the shot. Should I mask, or ask them to, or do we both go maskless? The recommendation is the fully vaccinated person does not need to wear a mask, but the unvaccinated person does. It’s best to stay six feet apart when walking.
(22:05) For indoor youth sports, should unvaccinated kids still mask? We’re still learning about this. We’ve had a whole school year where indoor sports took place without significant outbreaks.
(24:00) If fully vaccinated, it is safe to eat at restaurants indoors over the long Memorial Weekend? According to CDC guidelines, this is safe. It’s still a good idea to be aware of your surroundings and not get too close to those outside your bubble.
(26:00) With vaccination rates varying widely across Kansas and Missouri, are we treading water with the COVID-19, and does the long holiday weekend pose a threat? We’re not treading water, but we’re going to have to wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. The risk is still there for the unvaccinated to gather, especially in large groups.