A steady number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System today. 58 people with the active virus are hospitalized, the same as Friday. 16 patients are in the ICU, down from 19 Friday. 12 of those ICU patients are on ventilators today, up from 10 Friday. 59 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 60 Friday. That’s a total of 117 patients, down from 118 Friday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 20 COVID-19 inpatients, up from 18 Friday, with 14 of those active patients and 6 in the recovery phase. Doctors noted the 7-day rolling average of new cases in the Metro is down and they have not seen the surge of patients they were expecting after the holidays. They hope this is the new normal.
On today’s Morning Media Update, Dr. Nathan Bahr from infectious diseases is back, but in a different role. He joined Kim Dixon, assistant chief nursing officer, to talk about the health system’s monoclonal antibody infusion clinic. We also heard from one of our early patients. Paul Van Erem was lucky number thirteen to receive bamlanivimab and his story is pretty remarkable.
Paul Van Erem is a 63-year-old retired father and husband who came down with the virus a few months ago. He began feeling a strong tightness in his chest and the worst headache he’s ever had. He came to the health system just after the monoclonal antibody treatment known as bamlanivimab received emergency use authorization by the FDA to treat symptoms of COVID-19 in an outpatient setting. Paul had health problems like liver disease, diabetes and immune deficiency. Those, plus his age, fit the criteria for getting the treatment. It took an hour to administer in a clinic and an hour of observation and then he went home. He was feeling so good the next day he went back to his home woodworking shop. He says he’s glad he did it because he’s heard too many horror stories about the long-term effects, and he wanted to make sure he was here for his family for a long time.
Dr. Bahr says Paul’s outcome is typical of what he’s seeing in patients who receive the treatment. He pointed out that side effects are pretty rare, and it has decreased hospital stays and emergency department visits. He says most people can make their own antibodies, but this treatment can jump start the process helping them fight the virus sooner. That’s why he says the timing for getting bamlanivimab is so important. He adds it’s too soon to know if this treatment will work on any of the virus variants but there is no reason for anyone to not get the vaccine. He stressed that investigations of people dying after getting the vaccine have all shown the deaths due to something other than the vaccine and the data prove it’s safe.
Kim Dixon said the biggest challenge in using the treatment is time, and why it’s so important to infuse it within seven days of symptoms. She advises everyone to get tested as soon as possible. She described the criteria that qualify someone for the treatment and said patients should be their own advocates by asking their primary care physicians if they qualify. They can also call the health system’s COVID-19 hotline at 913-588-1600. She also said the health system has vaccinated 10,000 people so far with the vast majority having only mild symptoms like arm soreness or fatigue. She also pointed out there have been no cases of the virus being transmitted inside the health system.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, says while it’s great the Chiefs made it to the Super Bowl again, we must be extra vigilant about watch parties. He says everyone needs to wear a mask and advises you to stay in your bubble. He says the worst thing to do is to party with coworkers because then you could infect the whole office. He says you can still transmit the disease even after recovering from it and we all must still continue to wear masks, even after being vaccinated.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, noted the Chiefs were the first team to open their stadium to a limited number of fans and have done so safely, becoming the model for the NFL. He says we’ve proven wearing a mask works in a football stadium and a college campus like KU. He says the most powerful thing we can each do is wear a mask and follow all of the pillars of infection prevention. He also urges everyone to get the vaccine as soon as it’s your turn.
Tuesday, January 26 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Dr. Hawkinson rolls up his sleeve again to get his second dose of the Moderna vaccine live on the air. Also, KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman is back to answer questions about the vaccination rollout.
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