The University of Kansas Health System reports a slight increase in the number of COVID-19 patients today. 31 are hospitalized, up from 28 yesterday. Eight patients are in the ICU, down from 10 yesterday. Four patients are on ventilators, same as yesterday. 24 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. In addition, HaysMed reports 17 inpatients with one on a ventilator. Doctors say the numbers are fairly steady as the health system continues to have new admissions and discharges every day.
Have you heard of the Keep WyCo Well initiative? It includes a pledge anyone can take that promises to follow the pillars of infection prevention and control in order to keep business open and people healthy. Daniel Silva with the KCK Chamber, Marcia Harrington with the Wyandotte Economic Development Council and Alan Carr with the KCK Convention and Visitors Bureau joined us to update us on how it’s working.
Alan Carr explained the thinking behind the Keep WyCo Well initiative. He says it’s designed to get businesses and individuals to take the pledge to stop COVID-19. Businesses that take the pledge get to put a sticker in their window. He believes it’s important for businesses to show their customers they are taking the virus seriously. He says the pandemic has had a huge effect on tourism in Wyandotte County. Right now, hotels are only 18 percent full when they normally would be at 50 or 60 percent. He says visitors tell them they want to see employees and customers wearing masks and he adds that it’s vital for the economy that businesses let people know they are safe. A viewer wanted to know why some places like the soccer complex were closed but casinos were open. He said casinos are able to enforce social distancing better while it’s harder to do that in the soccer complex with teams and fans close together.
Marcia Harrington says the masking culture is good in the county. She said at the beginning of the masking orders, people were vigilant but became lax as businesses started to reopen. Now, however, she’s seeing most all businesses and their customers wearing masks. Keeping businesses open, she says, is good for employees and the community. For a viewer who worried about getting a COVID-19 test for fear of a positive result and being out of work, she explained there are many resources such as the United Way and Catholic Charities that can help people in that situation.
Daniel Silva explained how the KCK Chamber is keeping its businesses updated with the most current and accurate information, and what makes this initiative so unique. He urges all businesses to be as flexible with their employees as possible, including with sick leave. He says allowing remote work, if possible, works well. He reminds us that we’re all in this together, and we can’t afford another business shutdown from the pandemic.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, discussed various scenarios of possible infection and when to get tested, as well as when to isolate or quarantine. He addressed some of the main symptoms of COVID-19 and pointed out that many diseases have similar symptoms. He says when in doubt, or if you think you’ve been in a high-risk situation with possible exposure, get tested as soon as possible. He says it would be great if schools and businesses could test their students and employees every day, but the testing capacity is not there yet. He understands we’re all getting COWS (Covid Weariness Syndrome) but says we must continue to observe the basics of mask wearing and social distancing every day to beat the disease.
Thursday, October 1 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. Halloween month officially begins tomorrow and that scares a lot of health care leaders who worry about the spread of COVID-19. Haunted houses are especially worrisome. Never fear, our guest tomorrow is Spencer Terry, general manager of the Fear Factory. Spencer is also a board member of the national Haunted Attraction Association. He will join us from Salt Lake City, Utah with a list of precautions and questions to consider before you decide to trick or treat and visit the local haunts.
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 1-253-215-8782, 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.