Total COVID patient numbers are still extremely high at The University of Kansas Health System, 219, the same as yesterday. Omicron is the dominant strain. Other numbers of note:
- 126 with active virus today, 116 yesterday
- 27 in ICU, 24 yesterday
- 15 on ventilators, 18 yesterday
- 97 hospitalized but out of acute infection phase, 103 yesterday
Today’s guests took us behind the scenes at the morgue and discussed how the health system tracks COVID patient deaths.
Key points from today’s panel:
Dr. Ciara Wright, Decedent Affairs Coordinator
- Important to be empathetic and treat every patient in the morgue as a relative
- Takes logistical skill finding room for deceased COVID patients with limited space
- Coordinates with family, funeral homes and transplant center daily
- Take COVID seriously. Husband didn’t and caught disease. Be kind to each other and show extra love.
- Willed Body Program available through KU School of Medicine for those who wish.
Dr. Katie Dennis, Pathologist
- Seeing most overall deaths in January than seen in whole pandemic
- Extra strain on system because still have patients dying from non-COVID causes
- At or above capacity daily. Refrigerated trucks available but not needed yet
- Unable to do autopsies on COVID patients because special ventilation needed. Otherwise, any family may request an autopsy
- Acute positive COVID patients can’t be organ donors
Amanda Cackler, Director of Infection Prevention and Control
- COVID death number sometimes complicated. Daily number given is patients who died in hospital and had active COVID at some point
- How many die from COVID and how many die with COVID are two different things. Doctors and state health department make determination.
- 11 percent of hospitalized COVID patients are fully vaccinated
- Typical month before the pandemic saw 50 to 90 deaths in hospital. Now seeing 130 to 150 each month, but not all from COVID
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control
- Be extremely careful about attending live sporting events or watch parties this weekend
- If you need a booster, get it now. Don’t wait until new booster for omicron becomes available
- It’s likely another variant will replace omicron, but nothing significant noted right now.
Friday, January 28 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. Multi Inflammatory syndrome is showing up more in children as COVID hospital admissions climb. Two doctors from Children's Mercy will join us for this important status report. Plus Dr. Mitchell Douglass from our Marillac campus is helping kids deal with mental health problems and dealing with grief during COVID.
ATTENTION: media procedure for joining:
Zoom link: https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628
Telephone Zoom link: 1-312-626-6799, meeting ID: 782 897 8628
TVU Grid link: UoK_Health_SDI
Restream links: Facebook.com/kuhospital
YouTube.com/kuhospital
Send advance questions to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.
