The University of Kansas Health System reports steady COVID patient numbers today. 36 with the active virus are being treated, up from 35 on Friday. Only two of those patients are vaccinated. Four patients died over the weekend. 10 COVID patients are in the ICU, up from seven on Friday. Seven are on ventilators, up from six Friday. 21 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 27 Friday. That’s a total of 57 patients, down from 62 Friday.
On today’s Morning Medical Update, a huge milestone for blood and marrow transplant patients and their families at The University of Kansas Health System, as three floors of Cambridge Tower will be opening this week for their exclusive use. Joseph McGuirk, DO, division director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics, was today’s guest. We took a live tour inside the new space.
Dr. McGuirk calls the three new floors of the hospital “absolutely wonderful” for patients and their families. He and his team traveled the country looking at the best BMT programs to help design and build 100 state of the art rooms for some of the most vulnerable patients in the health system. The new levels will open tomorrow specifically for hematology, acute leukemia, and cellular therapy patients. One floor was finished early and has been used to handle the overflow of COVID patients during the most recent surge. Now with the transfer of patients there will be more bed space for COVID patients in the main hospital. Dr. McGuirk says patients in this area are the most vulnerable to COVID because their immune systems are destroyed, and regular vaccines won’t work for them, so many extra precautions are in place. Those include special air handling and entrance procedures designed to keep germs and viruses out. Because the new levels are designed for patients facing long stays, family space is especially important. Families will have access to washers and dryers, showers, lockers, and a full kitchen. Dr. McGuirk calls the new space, “uplifting,” and a place “where you can look out at the world and see the city and remember why you’re putting yourself through all this. It all goes to creating this healing environment and improving outcomes for our patients.”
Dr. Hawkinson addressed several viewer questions. He says even if you’re fully vaccinated, and have had a booster, it’s still important to wear a mask, especially indoors, and to socially distance. The rising number of flu cases makes it even more important. He believes kids should still be wearing masks at schools. He says the vaccines will continue to give protection against both the delta and omicron variants. He says the whole concept of “vaccine shedding” is a myth and a product of a misinformation campaign. As for a long term booster schedule, he says it's too soon to know. He also says deaths among the fully vaccinated with boosters are uncommon and are mostly in the unvaccinated.
Tuesday, December 14 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. Add zoo animals to the list of those eligible for the COVID vaccine. They too are contracting COVID, and the virus has been detected in wildlife like white-tailed deer. How does this affect hunters and those who eat the meat of an infected animal? We’re bringing our zoo and animal experts back to answer those questions and more.
NOTE: Journalists should rejoin the Morning Medical Update at 8am as doctors are growing too busy again for individual interview requests. Please bring questions or send to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu until further notice. Thanks for all you do and helping to keep the community safe with your reporting.
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