The University of Kansas Health System reports yet another record number of COVID-19 patients being treated today. 78 patients are hospitalized, up from 72 yesterday, the previous record. 22 patients are in the ICU, down from 25 yesterday. 14 patients are on ventilators, down from 16 yesterday. 36 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. That’s the same as yesterday. Total COVID-19 patients rose to 114, up from 108 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has 21 total COVID-19 inpatients, up from 16 yesterday, with 2 of those patients in the recovery phase.
Today on Veterans Day we saluted and celebrated veterans. Joining the panel were senior surgeon at the health system and Major in the Army Medical Corp Dr. John Alley, Justin Hoover, veteran and Executive Director of the Battle Within and Craig Crumpton, a veteran, fire fighter and member of the air national guard. He’s also an Alumni of the Battle Within and was just diagnosed with COVID-19.
David Wild, MD, vice president of Performance Improvement at The University of Kansas Health System, began the update by saying, “The situation on the ground here in our community and across the Midwest continues to become more and more concerning every day.” He presented a sobering look at the latest numbers of COVID-19 cases both in the Midwest and in the KC Metro area. The graphics show the Midwest is currently the hottest region in the country for the virus, with 729 new cases per million every day with no end in sight. Other regions are behind but also trending upward. He also showed the 7-day average of new cases in the Metro area, which continues to rise. He said because hospitalizations always lag behind new cases by a week, this will present a significant challenge in our area. He said, “All of the things that we said could happen, and if they happened would scare us in March and April, are happening now.” He says the virus replication rate is rising to the point where every one person in the Metro area now is infecting nearly one and a half others. He says there are some places in the Midwest where every one infected person is infecting 3 or 4 others and we’re on our way to that unless we do something to change that and bend the curve again. He believes as a community we can do it.
As a surgeon, Dr. Alley was affected by the pandemic early on when the health system, and other hospitals around the country, halted elective surgeries. That gave him time to spend working with the state National Guard on preparations and coping with the crisis. He says so far, the National Guard has delivered more than eight million meals around the state. As a 14-year veteran, he’s proud of what the military has done to help others in the pandemic. In referencing his fellow veterans, he quoted Shakespeare’s King Henry V in saying “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”
Justin Hoover, a combat veteran, described how his personal experience led him to found The Battle Within, and how the organization has expanded to provide services to not only veterans but first responders and front-line medical workers. He explained how COVID-19 has impacted veterans, who have reached out more than ever for medical and mental health services and described what his organization offers. He says it’s OK not to be OK, and help is there.
Craig Crumpton described his recent diagnosis with COVID-19. He had a fever the first day and then muscle aches and soreness. He described his experience with The Battle Within and said it was good to find a community that holds you accountable and is there for you unconditionally. He says one of the first things he was challenged to do was to say what he would do in five days that would change his life.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, said the new CDC guidance that wearing a mask offers some protection to the wearer confirms what he and others in the medical community have been saying all along. He reminded us that we are not as likely to catch COVID-19 from inanimate objects as was first thought. He also advises caution at any Thanksgiving gatherings, even if all tested positive for the virus in October, saying it’s still possible to still be a carrier of the virus.
Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. Dr. Allen Greiner, Medical Officer for the Unified Government Public Health Department and Johnson County Public Health Officer Dr. Joseph LeMaster update the virus spread in their counties.
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