For the first time in nearly a week, The University of Kansas Health System reports a lower number of COVID-19 patients being treated today. 67 patients are hospitalized, down from 78 yesterday, which was a record high. 20 patients are in the ICU, down from 22 yesterday. 12 patients are on ventilators, down from 14 yesterday. 26 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. That’s down from 36 yesterday. The total number of COVID-19 patients dropped to 93, down from 114 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has 22 total COVID-19 inpatients, up from 21 yesterday, with 2 of those patients in the recovery phase. Doctors call these up and down numbers normal fluctuations.
Also, for the first time the health system is identifying surgeries that can be deferred to free up bed space as needed. Each department head was asked to identify one or two patients who could postpone their elective care for a short period without affecting their long-term health. Doctors blame the exponential growth and uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in the community for putting pressure on bed space.
Joining the Morning Media Update were Dr. Allen Greiner, Medical Officer for the Unified Government Public Health Department and Johnson County Public Health Officer Dr. Joseph LeMaster to update the virus spread in their counties.
Dr. LeMaster calls this, “A very dangerous time.” He says while counties don’t track those with symptoms and those without, we should understand there are a lot of people walking around who don’t know they have the disease. He believes the spread is coming from many behaviors such as after school events, parties after sports, weddings and places where there is shared food and alcohol, especially restaurants and bars where people take off their masks for extended periods. He says we are at a tipping point and could soon find area hospitals have no more room. He thinks there will be a lot of cooperation between area counties in stopping the spread, though he doesn’t believe a shutdown of the economy is the right answer.
Dr. Greiner agrees a full lockdown is not the solution, but stricter guidelines and ordinances, such as mandatory masks for all and a limit on gathering sizes may be coming. He described some places where the greatest transmission takes place, like long term care facilities, manufacturing plants, jails and faith-based gatherings. He says we should treat everyone we meet as if they have the virus. He recounted the problem of one small community hospital in Kansas having to call 11 other hospitals before being able to place a patient.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, described the idea of having “COVID parties” for children in an effort to develop herd immunity as “an extremely bad idea that needs to stop.” He says this disease is nothing like chicken pox, explaining herd immunity requires 70-80 percent of the population have a disease, while only 2-3 percent of the population has COVID-19, with much more devastating results. He also says a breath spray that claims to fight the virus has not been scientifically proven to work and has only been tested on ferrets.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, said back in April and May, the health system had to turn away 40 patients. In October alone, they had to turn away 140, and are currently getting transfer requests from every state in the region. In his words, “We’re not saying shut everything down. We’re saying wise up.” He says the pillars of infection prevention, not economic shutdown, is the answer. He believes we are at a crossroads and must make a choice to protect ourselves and our fellow human beings. He reminded us that the United States Constitution begins with “We the People, not I the One.”
Friday, November 13 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Joining is Sean Kumer, MD, VP Perioperative and Procedural Services and Amanda Gartner, director of quality and safety. We will get to unanswered and new questions from the community.
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.
