The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System continues to creep up today. 25 patients, two of them children, are being treated for the virus, up from 24 yesterday. But only 8 are in the ICU, down from 10 yesterday. Even better, only two patients are on ventilators, down from three yesterday. Doctors say the age range of patients in the ICU is 33 to 83.
COVID-19 survivor Anil Gharmalkar of Parsons, KS, joined us in the studio to share his story of contracting the virus in mid-April and being life-flighted to the health system after a nearly a week in his community hospital. He shared his harrowing story and details of the struggles that remain.
Anil Gharmalkar runs a trucking company and was making a delivery in Indiana. He began feeling tired and winded and what would normally take him about a day to get back home took two and a half days because he had such trouble breathing. When he made it, he collapsed on the couch. He tells his gut-wrenching story about going to the local hospital in Parsons, then becoming so sick they couldn’t do anything more for him. He was given an hour to talk with his family before being put on a ventilator. He doesn’t remember being transferred to The University of Kansas Health System. He spent 10 days in the ICU and five more in a regular room before being discharged. He had to come back once for treatment of inflammation, common for COVID-19 patients. Two and a half months later he’s free of the virus, but still on steroids and dealing with the aftereffects of the disease. He wants people to know those who get it have a long road back. He says many residents of Parsons were “late adopters of masks,” and some have asked him to put on a mask while in their presence, fearing he might still spread the disease.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, said others are more at risk to Anil right now than he is to them. He says we don’t know if Anil could get sick again with COVID-19 or if he’s developed any immunity to the disease. He emphasizes the disease is still out there and continuing to spread and says we all need a full culture change to stop the virus from spreading. He says it’s not a political issue but a health issue and the only way to control it until a vaccine is available is to practice the safety rules we’ve heard from the beginning…wear a mask, keep six feet apart, wash your hands, don’t touch your mouth and cough into your elbow.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, says he was scared when he heard the numbers from Florida of 15,000 new patients diagnosed in a single day. He says even though nationally the death rate from COVID-19 is about one percent, those who get it, like Anil, still have a tough road to recovery. He says if you are more tired than usual or have a headache, you should be tested. He reminded us that sheltering in place worked but then we got careless and reckless. He says unless we want to return to that we must wear a mask and observe the pillars of infection control. He adds we can’t go back to normal yet but must work toward a post-covid society by taking care of each other.
Wednesday, July 15 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman joins from Topeka to discuss whether Kansas should shelter in place again. Also, how to predict hot spots if you’re considering travel out of the state.
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.
