The number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System continues to fall today. 54 people with the active virus are hospitalized, down from 60 yesterday. 11 patients are in the ICU, the same as yesterday. Nine of those ICU patients are on ventilators today, down from 10 yesterday. 51 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 52 yesterday. That’s a total of 105 patients, down from 112 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 13 COVID-19 inpatients, down from 16 yesterday, with 11 of those active patients and 2 in the recovery phase.
On today’s Morning Media Update, Dr. Kevin Ault, OBGYN and member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices updated us on yesterday’s emergency meeting to talk about vaccine effectiveness and pediatric clinical trials. He also had an update on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And Dr. Roy Jensen, director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center, discussed a letter to the public from leading national cancer centers encouraging annual cancer screenings. This is due to an alarming number of canceled screenings during the pandemic.
Dr. Ault reported there are three more vaccines currently in the pipeline for FDA consideration. They are from AstraZenica, Novavax and Johnson & Johnson. He explained the difference with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is it’s just one dose and only needs refrigeration, not freezing, two big advantages over the others. He says that opens a lot of possibilities for vaccinating a wider group. He adds this vaccine is more likely to be given in a doctor’s office, which most patients prefer. He says Johnson & Johnson is holding a news conference next week, which usually happens when a company is about to receive approval. He also discussed pediatric clinical trials for the vaccine, some of which are being conducted in the Metro area at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He noted that for pregnant women, there’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation on getting the vaccine and it’s best to follow your doctor’s advice. He also discussed the ongoing surveillance for the virus variant. He pointed out one million people a day are receiving the vaccine in the United Sates and believes vaccines are our way out of the pandemic.
Dr. Jensen has a dire warning. As many as one third of adults in America have put off their recommended cancer screenings, worried about the pandemic. He says a National Cancer Institute study shows if we have a six-month disruption in screenings, over the next 10 years, it could account for an additional 10,000 cancer deaths due to delayed diagnoses, and cancer diagnoses at a greater stage. Normally, he says, a decrease in the cancer diagnoses as we’ve seen would be cause for celebration, but there’s no evidence the number of true cancer cases has dropped. While he says some people have lost health insurance because of the pandemic, many are simply not coming out of fear of catching COVID-19. He explained the safety measures put in place in all the health system’s cancer facilities and says in the 10 months since those measures have been in place, there have been no cases of anyone being infected at those facilities. He described a letter to the public from all of the National Cancer Institute centers, including the health system, which is a call to action to not put off essential screenings such as mammograms, pap smears, colonoscopies and skin cancer screenings. He also said there’s no evidence suggesting radiation or chemotherapy have any effect on the vaccine’s effectiveness and believes active cancer patients should be prioritized for vaccination.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, discussed how patients are notified if they qualify for monoclonal antibody treatment. He explained that elderly people with underlying disease are not dying from the vaccine but from their other medical conditions. He stresses there have no cases of anyone dying as a direct result of the vaccine. He also says there’s no minimum time to wait after being infected to get the vaccine and the only precaution is to not be vaccinated when currently showing symptoms. That’s to keep from spreading the virus to others in the clinic. He welcomes the news of more vaccines coming and says that will allow the population to be vaccinated much quicker.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, explained how the health system has used its vaccine doses so far, and said there is not yet enough for everyone. But he says as soon as the supplies are there, “We will come looking for your arm.” He believes better behavior and increased vaccinations are the reasons for the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases, both in the Metro area and around the country. He says faith, hope and infection control have brought us this far. With more vaccine coming, he urges everyone to take it when the chance is offered to you.
Friday, January 29 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Amanda Cackler, director of quality and safety, joins the panel to help answer your questions. We'll also be asking for recipes for favorite Super Bowl foods that are also healthy.
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 1-312-626-6799, 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.