The number of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System continues to hold steady this week. 24 patients are being treated for COVID-19, down from 26 yesterday. Eleven of those patients are in the ICU, up from 8 yesterday. Another 20 or so patients are awaiting test results.
On the phone today taking questions were the chief medical officers from three area hospitals: Dr. Raghu Adiga from Liberty Hospital, Dr. Larry Botts from Advent Health Shawnee Mission and Dr. Mark Steele from Truman Medical Centers/University Health. All three gave updates on the status of COVID-19 patients in their hospitals and how they’ve all adapted during the pandemic. In normal times, all of the area hospitals see themselves as competitors, but have now taken the attitude of “We’re all in this together.” All the area chief medical officers have a conference call three times a week to share information with their fellow health care professionals for the benefit of the community.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System says 40 to50 percent of COVID-19 patients who have to be put on a ventilator here have been able to successfully come off, which is much better than places like New York where only around 20 percent come off. He also talks about the news story just out that the virus may have been present in The United States as far back as December. He also addresses the status of testing medicines like hydroxychloroquine for treating patients. He says so far there’s not much evidence that it’s helping, but testing continues. He also answers the question of whether ultraviolet lighting is useful in killing COVID-19.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the health system, says it’s encouraging to see flat numbers of COVID-19 patients, but the fact remains the virus is still very much among us, and those numbers can still jump at any time. He stresses that when society does reopen, the rules about social distancing and good hand hygiene will be the same. He says we need to prepare for the world as it is, not as it was. He says the medical community has not seen anything like this since the AIDS crisis.
Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. Joining the panel to update all things testing will Rick Couldry, PharmD and VP of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Dr. Fred Plapp, Medical Director of Laboratory Medicine and Rachael Liesman, Ph.D., Director of Microbiology. Testing capacity is growing at The University of Kansas Health System and these professionals will explain the good, bad and the challenges of getting to this moment and what’s ahead. They are on the front lines of those trying to find a treatment and a prevention for the virus.
The feed is now available via TVU grid. The TVU source is UoK_Health and is being made available to all. You will still need to call-in to ask questions.
Telephone dial-in Participants:
Dial: 1-913-588-2222, and enter 50041981# when prompted for the Call ID. Feel free to send questions in advance to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.
