The inpatient count at The University of Kansas Hospital continues to hold steady. Today there are 56 active or acute patients, the same as yesterday. 27 are in the ICU compared to 24 yesterday with 20 on ventilators compared to 18 yesterday. Today there are 71 patients in the recovery stage, but 10 of those are also very sick and remain on ventilators. HaysMed reports 24 total patients today compared to 27 yesterday. Six patients are still recovering with two on ventilators down one from yesterday.
Doctors began the update by answering reporter questions regarding the high death toll in December for the metro with the highest number happening in Johnson County, Kansas. Dr. Steve Stites, Chief Medical Officer, reminded reporters that Johnson County was soft on masking and other pillars of infection prevention and like similar counties across the state experienced higher infection rates. Dr. Stites pointed to India where the infection rate is 75% less than the U.S. and has a universal mask mandate. Dr. Dana Hawkinson, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control added that hospitalizations and deaths lag behind infection rates and that is what we are seeing with both sets of numbers. Both doctors encouraged people to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing. Doctors said they did not believe the increase in infections, hospitalizations and deaths is linked to the new strain of virus that is now documented here in the U.S. Dr. Hawkinson said there is no indication the new strain is more deadly, but rather more transmissible.
Qiana Thomason, President and CEO of Health Forward joined the update to talk about health inequities among people of color. She explained the history of distrust among black and brown people traced to unauthorized medical tests on both populations in the past, and the current misinformation about these populations that continues to create bias and inequities in providing care. Thomason said education and more conversations are essential to overcoming the distrust. She said that is the focus of a joint, multi-level campaign underway communicating about COVID-19 and vaccines. The campaign involves local health departments and organizations coming together to support print, broadcast and social media targeting people of color and rural communities. Thomason invited health care partners with cultural proximity listening to the broadcast to contact Health Forward if they would like to participate in townhalls being planning for the most vulnerable populations including refugees, Latinex and African American communities.
The Executive Director of Shadow Buddies, Marty Postlethwait, surprised Dr. Hawkinson and Dr. Stites with physician “buddies” to honor the work they do. The non-profit donated several boxes of the new Shadow Buddies recognizing front line workers including fire, police, ambulance, nurses and veteran front liners. Dr. Stites called on everyone to be a hero by continuing the pillars of infection prevention and control during up the coming New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Monday, January 4, at 8:00 a.m. Dr. Kevin Ault, OBGYN and CDC ACIP member Updates vaccine recommendations for expectant mothers while Dr. Angela Myers, Division Director of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Mercy joins to talk about COVID-19 related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.
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