A slight drop today in the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System. 29 patients are hospitalized, down from 30 on Friday. 9 patients are in the ICU, the same as Friday. Four patients are on ventilators, down from 6 Friday. 37 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. That’s up from 30 Friday. In addition, HaysMed has 17 total COVID-19 inpatients today, up from 16 Friday, with 4 of those patients in the recovery phase. Doctors are concerned about the rise in cases both nationally and in the Metro area, especially as we’re now getting into cold and flu season.
On today’s Morning Media Update, Dr. Matthias Salathe, chair of Internal Medicine and Dr. Akinlolu Ojo, Executive Dean of the school of Medicine at KU Medical Center, joined us to answer questions about a COVID-19 vaccine and vaccines in general.
Dr. Salathe had an update on the AstraZeneca vaccine trial, which the FDA had paused several weeks ago. He says the trial, in which KU Medical Center is participating, has been approved to restart. He explained it’s one of three COVID-19 trials currently underway at the Med Center, including one that’s testing a medicine for outpatient treatment. While Dr. Salathe can’t definitively say whether the trial vaccine is working, he’s “encouraged with preliminary data.” He cautions, however, that “real data” will still be needed before its effectiveness is determined. He also debunked a common conspiracy theory by saying there’s no evidence COVID-19 was man made and released. He says polio led to a breakthrough in vaccine development, and the same thing is happening with COVID-19, only at a faster pace, as scientists invent a vaccine for the current virus. He reassured us that we are not in a “doomsday scenario,” and even if it takes another year, if we all do the right thing responsibly, we’ll be able to get back to our normal lives much faster.
Dr. Ojo stressed that the basic pillars of infection prevention, wearing a mask, social distancing and hand washing, are very effective and will keep us safe while waiting for the vaccine. He’s hopeful a significant number of the population will be vaccinated by the end of next March. He explained how the CDC is already working with health departments on a distribution plan as soon as the vaccine is approved. He does suggest we might still be wearing masks until this time next year. When asked to name the worst virus he’s even encountered, he named polio.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, noted he’s seeing a wide range of COVID-19 patients from those younger and in their 40’s to older patients as well. Some, he says, have no symptoms while others have a full range of symptoms. He says in order for us to beat this virus, the pillars of infection prevention must become part of a culture change. He says while hope is on the horizon, he doesn’t think the masking requirement in hospitals will ever change because it’s keeping patients and staff from spreading the virus. His advice for a viewer who wants to travel to an Iowa funeral is the travel can be done safely, but it’s the funeral gathering itself that can spread the disease. He advised that the virus can enter through the eyes, just like through the nose and mouth. He says the vaccine may not help if you’ve already developed some immunity and says so far it looks like immunity from having COVID-19 can last 60 to 90 days.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, noted there’s been a 35 percent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in The United States compared to two weeks ago, and pointed out that hospitalizations usually lag behind infections. That means, he says, we could be in for a lot of crowded hospitals in the coming weeks. He says it’s remarkable that we’re looking at having a vaccine ready in less than a year. He also wanted to pass on these five tips for coping with the pandemic, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin.
- Accept that life will continue to be difficult for a while.
- Look for activities new and old that continue to fulfill you
- Expect less from yourself--cut yourself some slack and give yourself some grace
- Choose to move: Make physical activity a priority
- Avoid “doom scrolling”—limit social media exposure and be mindful of the types of news you consume.
Tuesday, October 27 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. We’ve asked three experts from Respiratory Therapy to talk about the impact of COVID-19 on breathing. Kyle Fitzgerald, Assistant Director Respiratory Therapy, Belete Fikru, RT Team Leader, and Rick Couldry, PharmD and VP of Pharmacy Health Professions will discuss how they help patients, the impact on supplies to treat patients, what time has taught us in fighting this pandemic, the impact on staff and how COVID-19 has led to even greater collaboration across Kansas.
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.