The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System is lower today. 20 people with the active virus are being treated, down from 22 yesterday. Of those patients, seven are in the ICU, the same as yesterday. All seven of those patients are on ventilators, up from five yesterday. Nine other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from ten yesterday. That’s a total of 29 patients, down from 32 yesterday. HaysMed has two active patients, up from one yesterday.
On today’s Morning Media Update, Dr. Mitchell Douglass, medical director of the Marillac Campus, specializing in inpatient mental health care for children ages 4-17 and Psychologist Dr. Danielle Johnson joined to talk about youth and mental health during the pandemic.
Dr. Douglass says COVID-19 has had a big impact on Marillac. Because of infection control measures, they’ve had to cut their available beds from 84 to 42. That’s meant as many as 300 kids a month have had to receive psychiatric care in regular hospitals rather than at Marillac. The pandemic has led to increased depression and suicide in adolescents and he calls it a significant healthcare and psychiatric crisis. He says kids are coming in with disrupted sleep cycles, not exercising like they used to, social life completely disrupted and sometimes a lack of vitamin D from not being outdoors enough. He’s also seeing a lot high functioning, “good kids,” with no history of psychiatric problems who are trying to keep things together for appearance’s sake because that’s what they think is expected of them. But inside they are really hurting and need talk about their pressures and problems. He says if you suspect your child is in any danger of harming themselves, don’t delay, call 911. He says the best thing we can do for younger kids is keep up their routine, like eating and sleeping schedules, exercising, and socializing with friends, in person rather than online whenever possible. He urges everyone to get their kids vaccinated as soon as it’s available. He’s hoping by fall, school will start to look like normal again.
Dr. Johnson says most kids want to get back to school, especially high school kids whose lifelong school routines have been shattered. She says it’s important for parents to talk daily with their kids but asking questions the right way is vital. It’s wrong to say, “You’re OK, aren’t you?” because your child will say yes thinking that’s what you expect. If you notice a change in their mood, they’ve lost interest in things, they’re withdrawn, have a different appetite and are just not the same kid you’ve always known, it’s better to sit them down and ask, “Are you OK?” If they’re not, just listen to understand what they’re struggling with and be prepared to get help if needed. She says with just two weeks left in school, focus on a good finish and then a fun summer.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, commented on the Missouri governor recalling all state workers back to their offices in the next week. He says it’s vital that all of them are vaccinated. As for those who work in call centers, he says many, like at the health system, were able to do that work from home. But he says some companies are bringing them back and he says they all need to be vaccinated as well, wear masks and keep socially distant as much as possible in that environment. As for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, he expects we’ll all need one about a year after getting the first vaccinations. He says it’s important to do everything we can to keep schools open in the fall and that includes getting everyone, including the kids, vaccinated.
David Wild, MD, VP of Performance Improvement at The University of Kansas Health System, sat in for Dr. Stites. He noted that the health system took in two transfer patients with COVID-19 yesterday, something they have not had to do since November and December. He said the patients, all unvaccinated, come from smaller hospitals without the resources to care for very sick patients. He also pointed out an eye-popping statistic, that 22.4 percent of new infections in the United States are from children, compared to just three percent in November. He says the vaccine for children can’t come soon enough and expects the Pfizer version could get emergency use authorization for kids 12-16 any day now. He adds we may see vaccine for kids even younger available by this fall. He also explained why wearing a mask is still needed even if you’re fully vaccinated. He reminds us that each of the things we are doing to keep ourselves, our families, and our community safe is having an impact. He urges us not to let up now but to keep up the efforts.
Friday, May 7 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Lance Williamson, Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Supervisor will be here to help answer questions on Follow Up Friday.
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.