The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System is holding steady today. After Tuesday’s record high of 39 patients, 24 are being treated for the virus today. Nine patients are in the ICU and six of those ICU patients are on ventilators. All three numbers are the same as yesterday. Doctors report patients in all age groups, including a mother and son. Doctors also answered a viewer question on how the hospital arrives at the daily count of COVID-19 patients.
News of another COVID-19 study launching at the KU Medical Center was the focus of today’s briefing. Researchers are testing a cancer drug to combat the “cytokine storm” that can happen in some patients. Dr. Roy Jensen, director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, joined the discussion. Also on the update, co-principal investigators Dr. Gregory Gan, Radiation Oncology, Translational Physician Scientist, KUMC and Dr. Deepika Polineni, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The University of Kansas Health System.
Dr. Gan found himself stuck at home when the pandemic hit in March, his lab at the Medical Center shut down, unable to go about his research into a cancer drug. It was while writing and reading about research findings in his field that it hit him. The same drug that he had wanted to study in cancer might also be effective in curtailing the lung inflammation of a "cytokine storm" that leads to respiratory failure and deaths of COVID-19 patients. After shifting gears, he teamed up with fellow researcher and pulmonologist Dr. Deepika Polineni and they are now conducting a phase-2 clinical trial. They hope to enroll 36 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with respiratory problems to see if this cancer drug can be used to help those patients with inflammatory lung problems. They’ll also look to see if there’s any long-term damage from this “cytokine storm.”
Dr. Jensen said this is a perfect example of repurposing drugs. He explained that’s the practice of taking an established medicine and finding a new use for it. The advantage is no early studies are needed as the drug has already been proven safe. He says it’s this kind of collaboration that’s common in NCI designated cancer centers and will help bolster the case for the KU Cancer Center when it applies for Comprehensive Cancer Center status next year in September. He also noted after this pandemic, the public will have a much better idea of what’s involved in developing drugs.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, says the current status of the pandemic has led him to decide he would not fly now. He says when he flew to Florida two months ago, flying was safer. He says driving is still the safest way to travel and explained it’s all about how you conduct yourself when you get to your destination. He also stressed the importance of a flu shot, especially this year, and said the best time to get one is October. He described the best kinds of home treatments to use if you have symptoms of COVID-19 and said 80 to 85 percent of those who test positive don’t need to go to the hospital. But he warned if those treatments aren’t working, get to the hospital.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, said pandemics are hard and wearying. He says the way to stay safe when you’re weary is to follow the basic pillars of infection prevention. In his words, “There’s a lot of hope. Let’s be a part of that together.”
Monday, August 17 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. David Wild, MD, VP of Performance Improvement and Erin Corriveau, MD, Deputy Medical Officer, Unified Government Public Health Department explain the current virus spread and response using numbers. Dr. Wild dives deep into stats around deaths … co-morbidities, age, sex, etc., and shares what we’re learning.
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 1-253-215-8782, 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.