The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System is up one today. There are 19 patients being treated, up from 18 yesterday. Seven of those patients are in the ICU, up from 6 yesterday. Six of those patients are on ventilators, same as yesterday. Three patients were discharged since yesterday, but new patients were admitted.
Mark Steele, MD, Executive Chief Clinical Officer, Truman Medical Centers/University Health, Dr. Larry Botts, CMO, Advent Health and Dr. Raghu Adiga, Chief Medical Officer, Liberty Health were back for today’s briefing to update patient trends at their hospitals. Also, Chelsey Smith from the Community Blood Center joined the panel with an urgent plea.
Chelsey Smith began the briefing with the dire message that the Community Blood Center has less than a two-day supply of blood, and it’s been that way for the last month. They normally have a seven-day supply. Nobody can remember levels this low. She says it’s due to hospitals ramping up surgical procedures, and fewer people donating, perhaps out of fear. The Community Blood Center has been unable to hold the usual blood drives because of the pandemic, which is where they normally get 70% of their donations. Donors must now come to them to give blood. She explained how safe it is to give, how there’s no age limit and that it takes only 45 minutes to an hour. She calls it our “civic duty” to donate blood. Go to savealifenow.org for information and to make an appointment.
The three chief medical officers noted that while COVID-19 patient numbers have been steady, they all have noticed a bump in the last week, similar to the one reported by The University of Kansas Health System in the daily briefings. All are reporting increased emergency and clinic visits, and all have increased testing for the virus. All of the hospitals have increased telemedicine visits, which they say have become very popular with patients. All three have noticed what they call the troubling recent trend of fewer people wearing masks in public, and stress that reports are showing mask wearing is one of the best ways to keep the virus from spreading. They say in theory it’s possible for everyone on earth to become infected, and until a vaccine is available, mask wearing and observing the pillars of infection control are all that will keep that from happening.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, is on the road again, this time traveling by car to Colorado. He promises to report in daily and send videos of how he and those in his traveling bubble are staying safe. He also weighed in on whether having your hair blow- dried at the salon is safe and whether it’s safe to let your kids play with friends who have just returned from a trip.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer of The University of Kansas Health System, reminded everyone how the city rallied to donate blood during the Hyatt disaster and the Joplin tornado and says we need to do that again in this current crisis. He noted that some states are considering requiring masks in public. He said COVID-19 acts in “evil and devilish ways,” and as we each determine our risk tolerance, we need to remember that risk comes home with us.
Friday, June 19 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas is back with details of more federal money headed to Kansas. Plus Dr. Richard A. Stone, Executive Director of the Veterans Health Administration in Washington, DC on reopening VA hospitals and the community while preparing for a surge.
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.
