Kansas City, Kan- The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 31 COVID patients today, same as yesterday. Other significant numbers:
- 14 with the active virus today, 18 yesterday
- 3 in ICU, 4 yesterday
- 0 on a ventilator, 1 yesterday
Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Bill Barkman, pulmonologist, The University of Kansas Health System
- More than 190 million people still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy air quality, according to the newest “State of the Air” report from the American Lung Association.
- The study measured two of the most dangerous air pollutants by particles and ozone and found more than one in three Americans live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
- Locally, both Wyandotte County, Kansas, and Jackson County, Missouri, each earned a D for high levels of particle pollution.
- If ozone is inhaled, it causes inflammation and it can cause airway reactivity such as asthma. It’s why cities issue ozone alerts, meaning that the levels are high, and people should change their activity levels.
- Particles in the air can come from a variety of places – dust from the ground, fires, vehicle emissions, manufacturing plants – and it can be carried long distances.
- The smaller the particles, the more will embed in the lungs or get caught in the upper respiratory tract.
- Asthma is a common illness. We want to do the best we can in dealing with air pollution so we don't have people having exacerbations of symptoms or requiring medical care in the emergency room.
- We should continue to pay attention to local air quality and support local initiatives to improve air quality. Avoid the use of emissions when you can to do your part.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, The University of Kansas Health System
- Bell's Palsy is an affliction that affects your facial nerve where you aren't able to move one side of your face. It's typically temporary.
- There was an article published in The JAMA Network that was a meta analysis – meaning they took a few dozen articles and tried to compare them to each other.
- When you do that, there are already inherent biases on the conclusions made.
- What one study showed was that there was an increased risk of having Bell's Palsy for people that received the vaccine, as compared to people who didn't. But they also did show seven or eight studies which found no increased rate as well, so we have to take that into account.
- The other thing they did show is that your risk of getting Bell's Palsy with COVID is actually three times higher than if you got the vaccine.
- So again, we know that the vaccine is safe, even though we know that it can have some side effects.
Wednesday, May 3 at 8 a.m. is the next Open Mics with Dr. Stites. Headscarves, wigs and prosthetics are crucial for cancer patients during and after their treatment. But it’s more than just the visual benefits. We show you the science behind why these personal items make a mental difference.
ATTENTION MEDIA: Please note access is with Microsoft Teams:
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 235 659 792 451
Passcode: 6CSfGE
Download Teams | Join on the web
Or call in (audio only)
+1 913-318-8863,566341546# United States, Kansas City
TVU Grid link: UoK_Health_SDI
Restream links: Facebook.com/kuhospital
YouTube.com/kuhospital
Send advance questions to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.