The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System is steady today. Five patients with the active virus are being treated, the same as yesterday. Of those patients, one is in the ICU, the same as yesterday. There are no patients on ventilators, and there have been none since May 24. Four other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from six yesterday. That’s a total of nine patients, down from 11 yesterday. HaysMed reached a milestone with zero active or recovering patients after reporting one recovering patient yesterday.
On today’s Morning Media Update, The Kansas Leadership Center returned to talk about a conversation they're trying to have with 750,000 Kansans who are on the fence on whether to get vaccinated. Ed O’Malley, president and CEO was joined by Julia Fabris McBride, project lead for the Kansas Beats the Virus campaign.
To set the stage for today’s discussion, we talked with various people on the street at Kansas City’s historic 18th and Vine District to get their thoughts on vaccinations.
Ed O’Malley says the people in the video reflect the same range of feelings and comments they’re hearing across the state of Kansas. His group specializes in training local neighborhood leaders and influential people to help persuade some of the 750,000 vaccine hesitant in the state to get vaccinated. He admits convincing some may not be easy and says it’s best when we can create the conditions where they convince themselves. Debating or lecturing them won’t work but helping them understand the research or who else has taken the vaccine usually does. He explains people always have reasons for their beliefs and too often we don’t take the time to try to understand those beliefs. He feels the new CDC guidelines saying only the unvaccinated need to wear masks sent the message that we’re done with COVID-19 and has made their job to mobilize people to step up so much harder.
Julia Fabris McBride says local efforts like these work best because people hear from those they know and trust, rather than some government official “telling them what to do.” She says the goal is to create 500 action projects by August 1 but says it’s harder now to get people to feel the same sense of urgency we all felt in December. Many unvaccinated people don’t know it’s free and worry about missing work if they get sick from the vaccine side effects. To get started on helping your community, the best way is to go to the Kansas Leadership Center website, https://kansasbeatsthevirus.org/ to sign up. They will provide the project facilitator and if needed, there is grant money available to help local projects get started.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, says the low number of patients at the health system is proof that vaccinations work. He says those worried about myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart in some young people, should not worry about it being caused by the vaccine. He feels mask wearing in healthcare facilities is here to stay for now because it works and says masking in schools may still be needed until those under 12 can get vaccinated. He reiterated that the way out of the pandemic is for as many of us to get vaccinated as possible.
Thursday, June 10 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Dr. Hawkinson’s daughter Caroline and son Wyatt are back in the studio to get their booster vaccines. And, our guest tomorrow is Vice President of Revenue Cycle Colette Lasack. COVID-19 has left many patients and families with devastating medical bills. Colette will update the Cares Act and offer other insight.
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