A slight decrease in the number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System today. 76 people with the active virus are hospitalized, down from 79 yesterday. 28 patients are in the ICU, down from 30 yesterday, but a high proportion of those patients, 20, are on ventilators today, down from 22 yesterday. 65 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, up from 59 yesterday. That’s a total of 141 patients, up from 138 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 27 COVID-19 inpatients, same as yesterday, with 18 of those active patients and 9 in the recovery phase.
Doctors say the number of infections continues to drop, and we’re better than we thought we would be for this time of year, especially after the Thanksgiving holiday. But they caution with Christmas and New Year’s coming, a letup in following the pillars of infection prevention could make the numbers spike again.
On the Morning Media Update today, Dr. Chris Brown joined us to explain why he rolled up his sleeve to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Brown cares for COVID-19 patients here in the hospital and he talked about the impact on him and staff who are in their tenth month on the front lines.
Dr. Brown is on the frontlines of COVID-19 patient care at the health system and was one of the first to get the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. We saw video of him receiving the shot, and he said he had no bad reactions adding it felt the same as a flu shot. He said even though the vaccine was developed at “Warp Speed,” he’s convinced it’s safe. He reassures everyone that bad reactions to this vaccine are “very, very uncommon.” He understands why some people, especially in minority populations, might be mistrusting of the medical field, given some of the history of experimentation on those groups, but he says it’s time to put the past aside. He urges everyone, no matter their background, to get vaccinated for the good of everyone. He stresses we’re doing the right thing, and the vaccine will help us all get back to a time of normal holiday and family gatherings.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, addressed reports that a new strain of COVID-19 may already be in The United States. He says there’s no indication it’s become more dangerous or lethal, and it’s common for viruses to mutate but it doesn’t have any effect on the severity of the disease. He adds there’s nothing to show the vaccine will be less effective. He also says there’s no role for the drug ivermectin on convalescent plasma in COVID-19 treatment. He explains it’s safe for cancer patients to receive the vaccine after chemotherapy and radiation, but one concern is a person’s immune cells might not yet fully respond.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, reminds us even after getting our first dose of the vaccine, it’s vital we continue to follow the pillars of infection prevention, including mask wearing He says that while the vaccine might help keep you from getting sick, we don’t know yet if it will keep you from spreading it to others. He explained why it’s important to return to the same location to receive your second dose of the vaccine. He also addressed when healthy seniors and the general population may get the vaccine, saying it all depends on how quickly the manufacturers can get it made and distributed. He says at this special time of year, it’s important for us to focus on what’s to come and not look back at what we’ve lost.
Wednesday, December 23 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. We're going to get some expert advice on how to use the holidays to reset for 2021. Our guest is Joan Wells, CEO and co-founder of Wellington. She recently teamed up with the greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to provide tips on reconnecting over the holidays safely with distant friends and families. PLUS, as promised, Santa is stopping by. He has lots to tell us about how COVID-19 has impacted his work this year.
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