A slight decrease in today’s numbers of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System. 30 patients are being treated for the virus, down from 31 yesterday. 14 of those patients are in the ICU, down from 15 yesterday.
Joseph LeMaster, MD, Public Health Officer for Johnson County joined the conversation to answer public health questions about how lifting stay-at-home orders impacts their counties. He says the entire county leadership is aware of the economic hardship the business closings have caused, but he stresses they must balance that with the needs of public health. Right now, Johnson County is set to begin phase one of reopening on May 11. He also describes what will be looked at before beginning phase two. Those wanting to get a haircut in Johnson County will have to wait for that phase before those shops reopen. He also addresses Mother’s Day gatherings this weekend, and he talks about whether swimming pools and summer youth sports will be safe. He stresses the biggest concern is that people will forget the new personal responsibility rules and the predicted second wave of the virus will hit this summer rather than this fall.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System is cautiously optimistic that the downward trend of numbers will continue. He says there’s a need for blood, stressing it’s safe to donate and receive blood and plasma. He added that the hospital’s campus partner, the University of Kansas Medical Center, is holding a blood drive all week, and if you have had COVID-19 and recovered, your donation is especially valuable for research purposes. He also says properly licensed childcare centers, which have been classified as essential services all this time, are safe. He reminded everyone that wearing a mask is not to protect you, but to protect those around you from you in case you are unknowingly carrying the virus.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at the health system, says it’s important to know who’s in your circle, meaning those you’ve spent the most time with during the pandemic. He says for now to be wary of opening up that circle without proper precautions. He explains that right now there are no truths in COVID-19, just relative risks. He adds the hospital is beginning to bring more patients back to the operating room and the clinics now that there is enough personal protective equipment and general anesthesia available. He says the hospital had to postpone more than 3000 procedures for patients and some of those procedures are no longer elective. He encourages people to come to the hospital for treatment, as it is safer than ever, rather than letting things get worse at home. He explains that clinics are extending hours and, in some cases, offering Saturday appointments to accommodate everyone.
Wednesday, May 6 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. Chris Brown, MD, hospitalist at The University of Kansas Health System has been on the front line in treating COVID-19 inpatients. David Lisbon, MD, Emergency Medicine sees trends happening in emergency medicine that need public attention. Also joining will be Allen Greiner, MD, Medical Officer for KCK Wyandotte County Unified Government. All three join doctors Stites and Hawkinson to share statistics on the impact of COVID-19 on certain groups and why that is important to know now that some stay-at-home orders have lifted.
ATTENTION media members-New procedure for calling in:
The meeting is now 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.
