A slight drop in the numbers of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System today. 26 patients are hospitalized, down from 30 yesterday. Seven patients are in the ICU, same as yesterday. Six patients are on ventilators, same as yesterday. 33 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. That’s up from 28 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has 18 inpatients today, same as yesterday.
On the heels of KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman declaring Kansas is losing the battle against COVID-19, Dr. Heather Harris, Medical Director of our HaysMed campus joined to talk about the virus spread there and what the community can do to blunt this latest curve. David Wild, MD, VP of Performance Improvement at the health system, filled in for Dr. Stites and provided a deeper look at the numbers.
Dr. Wild shared graphics that show increasing numbers of new cases and hospitalizations across the country, and he says the nation is on the upswing of a third wave of COVID-19. He pointed out the Midwest has by far the highest population-adjusted rate of new disease in any region of the country. That echoes what Dr. Norman recently said about Kansas being in the red zone with the 10th highest number of new cases in the nation. Dr. Norman said the disease is shifting to more rural areas. Dr. Wild added that it’s affecting smaller hospitals, like Pittsburg, Kansas, which recently closed to all but emergency services because they’re overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. He also mentioned that some smaller communities in Kansas are unable to staff essential services like police and fire protection because of quarantines. When asked why the Midwest numbers are higher, he said the difference is a drop off in mask wearing and social distancing. In his words, “Regionally, we have a lot of work to do.”
Dr. Harris explained while 18 patients at HaysMed may not seem like a lot, it’s a big percentage of the hospital’s 80-90 total patients. By comparison, the main hospital in Kansas City, Kansas has around 700 patients today, with 26 COVID-19 patients, a much smaller percentage. She says COVID-19 patients the last three or four weeks have mostly been from rural communities around Hays, with one or two admissions a day. She adds those patients usually stay or week or more, longer than the average patient, and take longer to get better. That, she says, puts a strain on the entire hospital. She says the number of cases is on the rise mostly because of a lack of mask wearing and social distancing.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, noted that many people who get the virus say for the first week they don’t feel so bad, but often get worse as it progresses. He says most people don’t begin seeing symptoms until 4-5 days after they’re exposed. In response to a viewer question, he feels herd immunity won’t work to stop COVID-19, as it requires 90% or more of the population to have immunity from either a vaccination or having the disease. He calls that a “very dangerous prospect.” He noted there’s no evidence that herd immunity would even work against COVID-19. He also says antibody testing for the general public right now “serves no purpose,” especially because it is not used for diagnosis. He also addressed the question of whether family members are likely to transmit the virus among themselves. He says, going into the fall, it’s more important than ever to wear a mask and avoid large gatherings.
Thursday, October 15 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. Lauren Lucht, Executive Director of Mental & Behavioral Health, offers insight into why some people won’t wear a mask. And, the impact of COVID-19 on mental and behavioral health including added stressors, anxiety, social isolation, depression and substance abuse that is crowding hospitals and community services.
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