The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System continues to climb. 24 patients are being treated, up from 21 yesterday. Seven of those patients are in the ICU, down from 8 yesterday. Six are on ventilators, same as yesterday. The number of patients has more than doubled in the last couple of weeks when there were 9-10 patients.
KDHE Secretary Lee Norman, MD, joined the call today to update recommendations and requirements in Kansas, how Kansas is doing and where he thinks the next hotspots will be. Also, the pandemic is taking a toll on blood supplies which remain at an all-time low. Chelsey Smith, Outreach & Communications Coordinator with the Community Blood Center is back.
Dr. Norman reports 12,059 COVID-19 cases in Kansas with 254 deaths, and the number is trending higher. He says more new cases are occurring among those in their 20’s and 30’s, those most likely to mingle in bars, restaurants and other large gatherings. He says the state of Kansas is trying hard not to order another shutdown, and the governor is recommending the phase three restrictions of 45 or less in gatherings stay in effect. He addressed travel restrictions, saying Kansans must self-quarantine for 14 days after visiting Arkansas, Arizona, Alabama and Maryland. Those states have 3-5 times the COVID-19 growth rate as Kansas. He says the virus doesn’t stop at borders, and wearing a mask is one of the best ways to keep it from spreading. He also explained that the state is unlikely to make masks mandatory because individual counties already have the power to do so. He says 92 of the 105 Kansas counties have reported cases of COVID-19. He also says the KDHE is working with local school boards, through the state Department of Education, on guidelines for reopening schools this fall.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, joined the morning briefing live from his vacation in the western Rockies of Colorado. He continues to see a good culture of wearing masks where he is, with most stores and restaurants requiring it…in addition to limiting the number of customers inside. He also says there’s no evidence of a new, more powerful strain of the virus, and when it comes to your kids playing sports, they tend not to be spreaders of the disease. He says it’s the other adults you need to be careful around. He also says reopening universities this fall will be a “daunting task,” because of the sheer numbers of people on campus.
Chelsey Smith says there was a slight increase in blood donations after her appearance and plea on the briefing last week, but the Community Blood Center still has under a three-day supply. She says they need a seven-day supply to keep up with the demand from area hospitals. She explained they serve people in the Kansas City area, St. Joseph and Topeka, and need 600 donors a day. COVID-19 has limited the number of blood drives, which usually account for 70 percent of their donations, and now are asking people to come to the blood center to donate. Go to their web site, savealifenow.org, to donate. There is also a blood drive tomorrow through Friday at the KU Medical Center’s Health Education Building at 39th and Rainbow.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer of The University of Kansas Health System, reminds us all that blood is critical for surgeries, especially now that more people are out and about and suffering accidents and traumas that require it. He says mask wearing is not about politics…it’s just the right thing to do because, he says, “COVID-19 is very, very real.” He adds, “This virus stinks. It’s hard to deal with. But it’s a whole lot harder to deal with being sick from it.”
Wednesday, June 24 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. VP of Revenue Cycle Operations Colette Lasack and Jason Grundstrom, Exec. Dir. of Continuum of Care team up to talk about how COVID-19 is impacting the cost of care and how patients can better navigate. Colette educates a little on explaining how health care is billed and then offers general advice for the public struggling with COVID-19 bills. Also, Jessica Lovell donates blood live to show how safe giving blood is to remind everyone the drive is underway.
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