The University of Kansas Health System reports a slight drop in the number of COVID-19 patients today. 23 people with the active virus are being treated, down from 25 yesterday. Of those patients, 11 are in the ICU, up from nine yesterday. Three of those patients are on ventilators, down from four yesterday. 11 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 13 yesterday. That’s a total of 34 patients, down from 38 yesterday. HaysMed has one active and one recovering patient, after reporting two recovering patients yesterday.
Doctors reported the ages of the active COVID-19 patients in the ICU are 23 to 75, while those recovering on the regular medical unit range in ages from 36 to 83. Two patients with the disease are on the pediatric floor, ages 10 and 17.
On today’s Morning Media Update, our focus on mental health continued with a closer look at what our pediatricians are seeing in their clinics and in their inpatient admissions. Dr. Steve Lauer, Dr. Mike Lewis and Dr. Stephen Lassen reported more and more appointments and admissions stem from mental health issues causing physical symptoms in many cases and it’s cause for alarm. They offered signs to watch for that your child needs help and tips for keeping our youngest population safe.
Dr. Lewis said kids who get COVID-19 are more at risk for multi system inflammatory syndrome, in which the immune system goes into overdrive fighting the virus. That causes fevers and multiple organs to be impacted. It’s even worse for kids with chronic conditions, and he describes the symptoms. He calls it ”really sad,” that not only at the health system but across the country, doctors are seeing more critically ill children who have not had the opportunity during the pandemic to see their doctor and now problems which could have been caught sooner are very serious. He points out that kids, like adults, have had a lot of things taken away in this past year and if they don’t have the skills to work through some of their frustrations, they can really go downward with their mental health. He said they don’t always recognize when things are going in the wrong direction and urges parents to be their kids’ advocates and helping them get back on track when needed.
Dr. Lassen says we are right to be concerned about kids, who are seeing two to three times the mental health symptoms as pre-pandemic levels. He’s also seen a lot of kids with health problems brought on by anxiety and stress from the pandemic. Many of the problems are a result of social isolation from friends and the changes in how they attend school from home. He counsels parents to pay attention to any significant changes in their children’s mood, sleep, activities, or appetite and seek help when they notice something is not right. He says kids do well when they get the support they need and stresses extra communication between parents and children is even more important now. Structure brings comfort and predictability to kids’ lives, and he advises, “Focus on doing the things that we know contribute to optimal emotional health, and enjoy the activities that we have to enjoy and not worry too much about what’s down the road.”
Dr. Lauer believes vaccinating our kids is going to be the best way to start getting families back to normal, especially for school this fall. He says it might allow many families who are fully vaccinated to travel this summer. Kids have a hard time expressing when they feel stress, and he explains they will usually say they have something like a headache or a stomachache. He advises parents to keep an eye on school performance, especially if there’s a noticeable drop. Then it’s time to have an honest and open discussion with your kids about things that might be bothering them. A lot of family structure has relaxed during the pandemic and he says it’s vital for families to get back to that structure in their kids’ lives, especially regular mealtime, regular homework time and a regular bedtime.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, said households with children are at higher risk for getting COVID-19, which is why it’s so important to get the kids vaccinated, now that it’s been approved for ages 12 and up. He said the dose for children will be the same as for adults. The health system is gearing up to add vaccines for kids and he stresses there is plenty for both kids and adults. COVID-19, he says, is a vaccine-preventable disease, like many other childhood diseases. He urges parents to make sure their kids get shots for all of them.
Thursday, May 13 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman, Vice Chair of clinical and translational research at KUMC Dr. Mario Castro and Research Director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Children's Mercy Dr. Barbara Pahud will answer more vaccine questions.
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: 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.