The number of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System went higher today. 29 are in the hospital, up from 24 yesterday. Ten of those patients are in the ICU, up from 9 yesterday, with 5 on ventilators, down from 6 yesterday. 30 other patients are still hospitalized from COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. Doctors explained acute patients vs. those no longer in that phase but still needing hospitalization and why we are giving that number every day now.
Having trouble sleeping? Feeling anxious and stressed? Want to boost your immune system? Clinical Dietician Tara Marchello (like the musical instrument, cello) joined the discussion with a shopping list to help with all three during the pandemic.
Tara Marchello says there’s a link between healthy eating and a good immune system, which could help during the pandemic. She said one of the best sources of information is the USDA’s website choosemyplate.gov which explores the five food groups and helps build healthy eating habits. She had several examples of foods that help with stress and building immune health. She also showed a list of foods that benefit sleep and had had great advice on what to avoid close to bedtime if you want quality sleep. For those looking for good diets, she recommended the Mediterranean and DASH Diets as among the healthiest to follow. She says in any diet, there should be enough wiggle room for comfort food, as long as it’s in moderation. She had advice on what those diagnosed with COVID-19 should eat and discussed the importance of spices in a good diet. She thinks air fryers may be a good alternative to regular deep-fat fryers. She also said chamomile tea, whether hot or cold, is beneficial because of the antioxidants it contains.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, discussed new CDC guidelines which say people without COVID-19 symptoms no longer need to be tested. He says while there’s currently no mechanism in place to test everyone, he feels more testing is best. He also addressed reports of a new antigen test by Abbott Labs which promises a 15-minute turnaround. He thinks it would be great, especially if it’s widely available. He also says while the number of COVID-19 patients will vary up or down each day, the important number to watch is the 14-day rolling average, which he says is coming down.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, commented on the mass testing done of everyone at The University of Kansas campus in Lawrence. He says it’s a “remarkable feat” to have tested 20,000 people in such a short time, something very few schools around the country have done. He explained the goal is to keep any COVID-19 virus from spreading to the community. He says sometimes the difference between truth and fiction with COVID-19 is hard to tell, but we should stay as close to the truth as we can by observing the pillars of infection prevention wherever we go.
Friday, August 28 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman joins the Update to talk virus spread. Also joining, Olathe West High School Theatre teacher Alisha Morris who’s an overnight sensation for tracking COVID-19 cases in our nation’s schools. We’ll look at her expanding website and hear her story.
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.
