The number of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System is holding steady. 23 are hospitalized today, the same as yesterday. Six of those patients are in the ICU, down from 7 yesterday. 3 are on ventilators, down from 4 yesterday. 5 other patients are still on ventilators but are out of the acute infection phase.
How do you track and keep COVID-19 under control on a campus the size of KU? There’s an app for that. A start-up called CVKey, co-founded by KU alum and former Google VP Brian McClendon is helping to keep students and faculty safe on campus at KU. Brian was joined on the briefing by co-founder of CVKey Marci Nielson to explain how the apps they are creating could also be put in use by the public. Chris Wilson, VP of system integration and innovation at the health system also joined the conversation. Also, Dr. Stites and Dr. Hawkinson go back into the freezer with another demonstration of how your breath cloud spreads with and without a mask. It even looks at what happens if only your mouth is covered.
Chris Wilson with the health system explained how the app was developed starting in April, just after the pandemic broke out. He said a campus user must open the app each day and answer a series of screening questions. Once complete, if the information indicates the person is safe, a QR code is generated which allows the user to scan it at a building’s entrance to gain access that day. He says the app can help keep those who are infected from interacting with those who are not.
Marci Nielson says using the app is simple and it’s designed to ease fears and give users information that empowers them. She says it’s comforting for students to know that everyone else in class with them has been checked, since the app can restrict access to those who may be COVID-19 positive.
Brian McClendon says the app will tell a person what to do if they are suspected to have COVID-19 or may have been exposed to someone who is. He says it will make contact tracing much easier while maintaining privacy. He admits the program depends on people being honest in order to work properly. He says it doesn’t promise to keep you safe, but proper use will help keep you safer. He says it can be used outside of a university setting as well, like in churches or day care.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, discussed whether someone can get both the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. He says it’s possible, but not likely. He says the flu season has been very light in the southern hemisphere, which is one measure of how bad it might be here. He stresses getting a flu shot this year is more important than ever.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, discussed how the CDC has told states to be ready to distribute a vaccine as early as November 1. He says doing so will be one of the greatest logistical challenges in history. He also addressed the question of whether hospitals are ready for both COVID-19 patients and flu patients. He says if it’s a bad flu season, it could be a struggle.
Friday, September 4 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. We answer community questions that we didn’t get to this week. Also palliative medicine physician Dr. Christi Bartlett from the health system who wrote a thoughtful blog post about the CDC 6% COVID-19 deaths statistic which continues to be a burning question. She’ll clarify the report.
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.
