A slight uptick over the weekend is shown in today’s numbers of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System. 28 patients are being treated for the virus, up from 24 Friday. 11 of those patients are in the ICU, up from 9. Doctors say the steady numbers reflect the bent curve and hope to keep these levels, rather than see a big surge as society begins to reopen.
Who’s in your bubble? Joining the panel to discuss that was Amanda Gartner, RN, director of Quality and Safety at The University of Kansas Health System. As some parts of the community begin to reopen, she stresses it’s important to remember who is in your social bubble. That includes both your immediate family and your work group. She says when you’re with people outside of either of those bubbles, it’s especially important to take precautions, like wearing a mask, keeping your distance and washing your hands. She adds that a mask is a good reminder not to touch your face. She noted that many offices are reducing the numbers of people in large conference rooms from 30 or more to 10. Some, like The University of Kansas Health System, are now requiring masks at all times. She also says wearing gloves can give you a false sense of security, as they can become infected. She emphasizes it’s better to skip the gloves and keep your hands washed and sanitized. She also addressed the question of whether organized youth sports like baseball will be safe this year.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System says masks are important when you can’t maintain your six-foot distancing, and to remember they are meant to protect others from you. He says even when most of society has been reopened sometime in the next month, we will still continue to see cases of the virus. He explains it will more important than ever to observe the new societal rules. On bringing home groceries, he says to wipe food containers like canned goods, boxes and chip bags, unless you’re not going to use them for three days or more and not touch them… then you can put them directly on the shelf as the viral load reduces or weakens in that time. He says do wash your produce as normal and store in refrigerator. Viruses don’t like extreme temperatures. He adds that the practice of friends and neighbors socializing with each other from their own driveways is safe, but says universities need to take a close look at whether the current setup of dorm rooms is safe, since they promote group interaction.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at the health system, says we must remember that the rules haven’t changed just because the calendar did. He agrees it’s important to gradually reopen society, but in a smart and healthy way. He says each of us must determine our own acceptable risk, and personal responsibility will be the key to keeping COVID-19 manageable until a vaccine and treatment is found.
Tuesday, May 12 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. Heather Harris, DO, Med. Dir. HaysMed Campus, Christian Whittington, MD, Family Medicine, Pawnee Valley Campus and Mark Van Norden, DO, Family Medicine, Great Bend Campus join Dr. Stites and Dr. Hawkinson to put the COVID-19 risk into perspective in rural areas. Doctors also share how COVID-19 has made health care safer and what to expect at your next in-clinic appointment.
ATTENTION media members- 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
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