Another slight decrease in the number of active COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System today. 73 people with the active virus are hospitalized, down from 76 yesterday. 28 patients are in the ICU, same as yesterday. 20 are on ventilators today, same as yesterday. 66 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, up from 55 yesterday. That’s a total of 139 patients, down from 141 yesterday. In addition, HaysMed has a total of 23 COVID-19 inpatients, down from 27 yesterday, with 18 of those active patients and 5 in the recovery phase.
Doctors say the number of infections continues to drop, and we’re better than we thought we would be for this time of year, especially after the Thanksgiving holiday. But they caution with Christmas and New Year’s coming, a letup in following the pillars of infection prevention could make the numbers spike again.
On the Morning Media Update today, we received expert advice on how to use the holidays to reset for 2021. Our guest is Joan Wells, CEO and co-founder of Wellington. She recently teamed up with the greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to provide tips on reconnecting over the holidays safely with distant friends and families. PLUS, Santa Claus joined us from his workshop. He had lots to tell us about how COVID-19 has impacted his work this year.
Joan Wells knows this year has been the strangest any of us have ever seen, and how many of us miss the traditional ways of connecting with family and friends. For a lot of us, Zoom calls just don’t cut it. Her organization, Wellington, specializes in developing relationships in social gatherings and she explained how to find ways to reconnect with family and friends. The goal is to help everyone find a way to reset and reconnect for 2021. She says with the vaccines finally here, there is hope on the horizon and we should look forward to making big plans for next year.
Like all of us, even Santa Claus has to do things differently this year. Ol’ St. Nick joined us live from his workshop to talk about the adjustments he and his elves have made to be safe. That includes socially distanced workstations and masks for everyone. He even sported a special mask with a picture of his face on the front. He’s also had to get creative when he visits with children, showing pictures of some of those safe visits. Santa promises that everyone at the North Pole is safe and vows the pandemic won’t keep him from delivering toys around the world on Christmas Eve.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, stressed that contrary to some reports, there are no fetal parts used in making the vaccine, which had been a concern to some of the Catholic faith and others. In fact, he says, the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Bishops have said it’s our moral obligation to get the vaccine. He says there are no long-term effects from the vaccine, and any reactions are seen within a day or two. He explains the vaccine keeps you from getting sick from the virus, but it may not keep you from spreading it, which is why masks and social distancing are vital until 75% of the population is vaccinated. He also says it’s likely a COVID-19 shot will be needed every year, but it’s too soon to say if a second shot will be needed a few weeks later like it is this year. He says it’s safe and vital for patients with cancer, autoimmune disease and women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or thinking of becoming pregnant.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, stated the only way to get to a society without COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. He’s surprised at the lack of problems in developing the vaccine and says like a clutch pass in the Super Bowl, it’s remarkable how quickly it was developed, especially with 95% effectiveness. He reminds us this is still a challenging time, especially for those without a social network and urges us to reach out and help them. He promises the new year will look a lot better with the vaccine and mask wearing.
Monday, December 28 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update, as we are taking Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. Our guest will be Vibrant CEO Patrick Sallee with an update on how Vibrant is working with the community to spread the word about vaccines and masking to stop the spread of the virus.
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.