The number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System is down today. 76 people with the active virus are hospitalized, down from 87 yesterday. 36 patients are in the ICU, a big drop from 55 yesterday. 26 of those ICU patients are on ventilators today, same as yesterday. 74 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 78 yesterday. That’s a total of 150 patients, down from 165 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 26 COVID-19 inpatients, down from 30 yesterday, with 19 of those active patients and 7 in the recovery phase.
Doctors say they’re excited to see the first health system workers get the new Pfizer vaccine and shared the video. They noted from talking with colleagues at other area hospitals the COVID-19 patient numbers are down across the city.
On the Morning Media Update today, we hear from a patient, Stacy Kimuyu from Great Bend. The 50-year-old healthcare provider didn't always wear a mask until she came down with COVID-19 and had to be put on a ventilator. She shared what she has learned and why she now believes in the power of masks.
For Stacy Kimuyu, it all began on Halloween. She didn’t feel good, with muscle aches and a fever. She stayed home trying to fight it on her own, but within a week, she had to go to the hospital because of breathing problems. After four days, she was so ill, she had to be flown to Hays and was put on a ventilator. Fortunately, she was off the ventilator after four days, and four days after that she went home. She says as a nurse, she certainly believed in the value of masks, but admits she didn’t always wear one and was sometimes lax about washing her hands. She says many in her small town were complacent about it as well believing, “It won’t happen here.” She added that many there don’t want to be forced to do things they don’t feel make sense. But she says it’s now hitting home in her area. There were only three deaths in her county at the time she got sick and now there have been more than 20. What scared her most was being flown, not driven, to the hospital in Hays. That’s when she knew how serious her condition was. She was isolated from family and could only communicate using a whiteboard. She praised the staff, especially Chastity Thacker, her respiratory therapist, for keeping her family informed every step of the way. She was surprised during the morning update when a video from Chastity was played. Chastity said she can’t wait to see Stacy in person and give her a big hug. Stacy says now that she’s recovering, everyone in her family takes mask wearing and hand washing seriously, including her grandkids, who automatically wash their hands for Nana when they come over. She’s still got a hoarse voice and struggles with her energy but is feeling better. She advises people not to worry about politics and who is telling us what to do but to look at what they are telling you to do. She says the mask wearing culture around Great Bend is getting better. She says it’s a slow process, but she can see an improvement. She definitely plans to get the vaccine when it’s her turn.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at the health system, said the second dose of the vaccine is vital because the first just primes the body and only offers 50-60% immunity. He said to make sure the second dose is from the same manufacturer, and if you’ve already had COVID-19, you can still safely get the vaccine eight weeks after you’ve recovered. He also says it’s safe for pregnant women and immunocompromised patients such as those on chemotherapy. Because you can still spread the virus after being vaccinated, he says it’s still vital to wear a mask and says it will probably not be until this time next year before we can stop wearing them. He says if you combine masking, distancing, not gathering in large groups and the vaccine we can get back to some semblance of normalcy sooner rather than later.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at the health system, says even though were now able to go on the offensive against COVID-19, it’s vital we still play great defense. It’s the combination of the two, he says, that will win the game for us. In his words, “United we stand, and united we’ll win!”
Thursday, December 16 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. We welcome the Kansas Leadership Center to learn about a monumental effort to log 1,000 community meetings by December 31, for a cause they call the Beat the Virus Campaign. This is a powerful movement and we're excited to have them join us.
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: PLEASE NOTE NEW PHONE NUMBER
For those without Zoom, call 1-312-626-6799, 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.