The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 12 COVID patients today, down from 13 yesterday. Other significant numbers:
- 5 with the active virus today, up from 4 yesterday
- 0 in ICU, same as yesterday
- 0 on ventilator, same as yesterday
- 7 hospitalized but out of acute infection phase, down from 9 yesterday
Key points from today’s guests:
Alexis Del Cid, anchor and reporter at The University of Kansas Health System
- Experiencing anxiety about how she is acting as a result of long COVID
- Is conscious about not wanting to be exhibiting signs of “brain fog”
- Have called people by the wrong names, which is frustrating
- Sharing stories can help others who might fell alone about this
Jill Vonfange, social worker and program manager with Turning Point
- Turning Point has been around for 20 years and provides support, programs and classes for patients with serious chronic physical illnesses
- Turning Point meets the first and third Monday on Zoom (TurningPointKC.org)
- With COVID, she saw that there was a need for COVID-specific support
- It is important to hear from others with similar issues so they don’t feel alone – they need to be heard and valued and it helps them find commonality
- Sharing in groups can help with the anxiety. There is strength in numbers
Kelly Helou, long COVID patient
- Had pretty mild symptoms during COVID, but the long COVID symptoms were still there. She was also anxious about how she was acting
- Symptoms included tremors, shortness of breath, fatigue, difficulty talking and depression
- Is a registered nurse who can’t return to work yet because she has trouble multi-tasking
- You can feel so alone, but with Turning Point, people can really relate to what you are going through
- Others who had COVID say they are fine now, but for some people who had COVID, they aren’t fine yet and need this support
Stephanie Parker, long COVID patient
- Was hospitalized with COVID for 12 days and is still dealing with symptoms with short-term memory loss, vision, fatigue and more
- When exercising, the symptoms of long COVID pop up. For example, her heart rate jumps to 180 when running, which hasn’t happened before COVID
- The brain fog is real, so she relies on written notes more to remind her about things
- Turning Point provides relief – it helped her realize what she is experiencing is real and being experienced by others too
- It’s such a weight off to not have to try to prove to others what you are going through
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System
- Vaccinations continue to help against long COVID
- We are still learning about how long COVID affects our organs and cells
- We are at the very beginning about how to figure this out to provide the right symptomatic treatment
- Today’s guests are helping to remove the stigma of long COVID
Friday, May 20 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. A 24-year-old pregnant mom with COVID survives thanks to ECMO, a machine that acted as her heart and lungs. We’ll hear her incredible story and meet her 9- month-old.
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.
