The number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System is back up today. 69 people with the active virus are hospitalized, up from 60 yesterday. 21 patients are in the ICU, down from 25 yesterday. 10 of those ICU patients are on ventilators today, down from 11 yesterday. 48 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 50 yesterday. That’s a total of 117 patients, up from 110 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 22 COVID-19 inpatients, down from 24 yesterday, with 18 of those active patients and 4 in the recovery phase. Doctors say we have reached a plateau in the number of COVID-19 patients at the health system.
On today’s Morning Media Update, KCK Mayor and CEO of the Unified Government David Alvey, Dr. Allen Greiner, Chief Medical Officer for the Unified Government Public Health Department and Dr. Jason Glenn, a professor in the Department Of History and Philosophy of Medicine at KUMC. Mayor Alvey discussed the new rules that allow bars to stay open later. Dr. Greiner updated the vaccination roll out going on in Wyandotte County. Dr. Glenn is an expert in "how and why" we think what we do about science and medicine. Together, they are working to bring the melting pot of cultures in the Dotte together to get vaccinated.
Mayor Alvey addressed the recent lessening of restrictions against Wyandotte County bars and restaurants allowing them to now stay open until midnight. He says health officials are constantly analyzing the data and trends, and recently hosted a virtual gathering of bar and restaurant owners to find out what they are each doing to mitigate the spread. He says they all agreed that none of them want to be known as the source of disease spread. Alvey also personally visited several sites and was satisfied, after consulting county health officials, that the hours could be safely adjusted. He also warns that those establishments not observing safety measures will get a visit from an inspector and action will be taken. But he says ultimately, it’s up to the customers and staff to do the right things to protect themselves and their loved ones. He says we all need to commit to neither getting nor giving the virus.
Dr. Greiner says the vaccine distribution is going great in Wyandotte County, with almost all of the healthcare workers in the community vaccinated. He says as soon as the supply is available, and the next phase of vaccinations is ready, the county hopes to distribute 2000 doses a day at the old K-Mart at 78th and State. He urges residents to go to the Unified Government web site, wycokck.org, and fill out the Vaccine Interest Form to be notified when the vaccine is available and it’s their turn. He noted there is still some vaccine hesitancy in the community and points out that 10 million healthcare workers across the country have already safely received the vaccine, far more than took part in the clinical trial. He also says those who don’t have access to the internet can call the county’s 311 information line to register. He reminds us that the vaccine is free, and if you don’t have a primary care physician, you can call your local health department to get vaccinated.
Dr. Glenn says many in the community, especially the minority population, don’t trust the medical industry based on past exploitation and abuse in medical experimentation. He also says too many people get their information from social media instead of credible sources, which is why it’s important for health and community leaders to be open about the vaccine’s safety, side effects and how the trials were conducted. He adds part of the problem is people don’t feel close to their elected leaders, and those leaders must set the example so everyone can see how well they are doing after receiving the vaccine. He points out that the biggest fear in planning the vaccine rollout is that poor and minority people will be left behind and it’s vital to alleviate their fears and mistrust or the effort will fail.
Dana. Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, says right now, in the early stages of the rollout, the vaccines are still in short supply, but that will get better as the manufacturers ramp up production. He’s concerned about the idea of not holding back vaccine allotments for 2nd doses and instead doubling the number who can get the shot right away. He says people may not come back for their second dose, which will leave them without full protection. He says so far, after 7,000 health system employees have received the vaccination, there have been no severe reactions. He says it’s hoped the vaccination will prevent long-haul symptoms and it’s recommended for those who have already had COVID19, as long as they are past the infectious phase.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, says, “The arc of history bends towards justice. Sometimes it goes off course a little, but it can stay on course when we tell the truth, when we can do right by each other and we make sure that our priorities are things we live every day.” He adds, “The rules we follow, save the patient, do the right thing, be the bridge, ask questions, seek answers, are the rules that will get us through the pandemic. Let’s follow them.”
Thursday, January 14 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Dr. Gregory Poland (rhymes with Holland), a physician-scientist and the founding and current director of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group is back. Dr. Poland is also editor-in-chief for the journal Vaccine. His work focuses in part on the development of novel vaccines against emerging public health threats and he's going to explain in more detail vaccine variants and how they stack up against the current vaccines.
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