The number of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System is steady today. 22 are hospitalized, same as yesterday. Six patients are in the ICU, up from 4 yesterday. One patient is on a ventilator, same as yesterday, though five other patients who are no longer infectious are still on ventilators. 35 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. Doctors worry with the upcoming flu season, the health system may have to resort to using semi-private rooms if the number of flu patients starts to grow.
Joe Reardon, President and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, returned with a call to action for the community following the recent update with Chief Medical Officers and community leaders before the Labor Day Weekend.
Joe Reardon said the recent video conference of Chief Medical Officers had an impact like none he’s seen and said it was extremely important in driving home the point of personal responsibility during the pandemic. He says there is still a lot of concern and caution among businesses, and unfortunately many small ones are not going to survive. He says the surest way to keep businesses open is to wear a mask and follow all of the pillars of infection prevention. He believes it’s important to get back to normal, especially for schools, but says we are not there yet. He thinks there is better acceptance of masks now than in June but says there’s still room for improvement. He says the rallying cry for the whole community should be that we are supporting each other.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, addressed a viewer comment that “It’s widely reported that there is no research that shows masks actually work.” He said if you still believe that after all this time, “You are either aloof of everything or are choosing to believe that for your own reasons, whether that’s political or social or economic.” He went on to say there is overwhelming evidence masks work, including peer-reviewed studies. He says even if you want to take the science out of mask wearing, the economics of it are so important. He also says the cold weather will not kill the virus. He believes we all need to get a flu shot this year, and the best time is early October which should give immunity until the end of flu season.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, says we can all shop safely and support local businesses by wearing a mask and being respectful of others in the store. It’s when we want to flaunt the rules, he says, that we get into trouble. He says mask wearing allows us the freedom to go out in the community but adds that with that freedom comes responsibility. He says you should learn to love your mask as you love each other. Not wearing one, he adds, makes us all sick and keeps the virus alive. He says to remember that wearing a mask is not a sign of protest or acceptance. It’s a sign that you want to say to everybody else that I love you, that I want to take care of you. Wearing a mask, he says, is taking care of each other.
Wednesday, September 16 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. KU Chancellor Dr. Doug Girod updates COVID-19 on campus. Chris Wilson, VP System Integration and Innovation also joins. The Update includes news of a swab clinic starting on the KU campus and a new dashboard for the community to track COVID-19 cases.
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.
