The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System is steady today. 17 patients are being treated for the virus, up from 16 yesterday. Six are in the ICU, same as yesterday and two are on ventilators, down from three yesterday. Doctors are pleasantly surprised by the health system numbers after a recent peak of 24, especially since numbers around the Midwest and the country are rising. But they caution those numbers will definitely rise without mask wearing and proper social distancing.
Dr. Jessica Kalender-Rich is back in her new capacity as a national member of the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. Together with Dr. Hawkinson, they answered viewer and media questions.
Dr. Kalender-Rich explained her role as one of 25 experts on the national commission and said they will help determine the pandemic’s medium and long-term implications for those in nursing facilities. She said as it became known that older adults were more at risk than most, it became vital to find ways to keep them safe. She agrees the mandatory masking orders in place in Kansas and around the Metro area will go a long way to doing that. She addressed questions on how to keep older people, and all of us, safe when returning to places of worship. She also explained how long contact must be for transmitting the virus between people…usually 10-15 minutes. She understands how hard it is to be separated from family members in nursing facilities, but says for their safety, the distancing must continue.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, advises the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, meeting today to decide whether to allow the Kansas governor’s mandatory mask order to take effect, to say yes, and that masking is one of the best ways to get the numbers of COVID-19 cases back down again. He answered a question about how long after suspected exposure a test will show positive…5-7 days for most people. He says it is possible to get a test without a doctor’s order and explained how and where. He discussed how to know when it’s time to go to the hospital if you have not been feeling well. He also addressed the question of how safe it will be for children, who don’t seem to spread the disease like adults, to be back in school wearing masks all day. He also had advice for those who have tested positive and need a negative test before being allowed back to work. He says a more accurate measure is how long you have been symptom-free.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Steve Stites, will be back Monday. He joined us from Grizzly Creek, Colorado to show how he has stayed safe during his trip. He says despite the rising numbers, we will bend the curve again by observing all of the pillars of infection control, including masking, physical distancing and hand hygiene.
Monday, July 6 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. Homeland Security is issuing increased warnings around COVID-19 sharing of misinformation … when people innocently forward incorrect information that could be harmful. And, misinformation that results when people click on and share links only to be scammed or their private information compromised. Sean Roberts, VP of IT Technology joins to offer advice on avoiding financial/security risks while Drs. Stites and Hawkinson address the physical risks.
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.
