Slightly lower numbers of COVID patients at The University of Kansas Health System today. 35 with the active virus are being treated, down from 40 yesterday. 13 patients are in the ICU, down from 14 yesterday. Nine are on ventilators, the same as yesterday. 37 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID but are out of the acute infection phase, up from 35 yesterday. That’s a total of 72 patients, the same as yesterday. HaysMed reports a total of 10 patients, eight active and two recovering.
On today’s Morning Medical Update, we reported live from Arrowhead Stadium on a passionate group of bike riders traveling coast to coast to find a cure for cancer.
A very dedicated group of bike riders peddled their way to Arrowhead Stadium today, after having ridden all the way from Denver. They are employees of Bristol Myers Squibb and are participating in one leg of the Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer Ride to raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Another group took off from the stadium headed for Indianapolis on the next leg of the journey. We met two of the riders, Christy Williams and Todd Franklin, both riding for family members who died from cancer. Christy herself is a cancer survivor. Each rider had to raise at least $5,000, with every dollar going to cancer research. This year’s riders raised $1.5 million. Christy said it was very emotional seeing her family waiting for her at the finish line and Todd said the memory of his father, brother and wife kept him going for the grueling ride. Both said they can’t wait to try some of the famous Kansas City Bar-B-Que before heading back to Colorado.
Roy Jensen, MD, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, explained how the V Foundation has funded some of the cancer center’s younger researchers, especially in their efforts to develop immunotherapy treatments, in which a patient’s own re-engineered cells are used to fight their cancer. He said it’s a special year, marking the 50th anniversary of the Cancer Research Act, and is grateful to have the bike ride back after missing last year due to the pandemic.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, said news of a Kansas middle school student dying from COVID is a tragedy that didn’t have to happen. He says masking in schools is vital for keeping students safe and says a vaccine for those under 12 may be approved next month. He noted only 10 to 15 percent of people who get the virus will need to seek medical treatment and explained how to tell when it’s time to do so. He advises getting tested if you even suspect you have COVID. He added that no vaccine is 100 percent effective at stopping disease, but the COVID vaccines are effective enough to keep you from getting seriously ill, going to the hospital, and dying. He discussed booster shots and reminded us that right now they are recommended for those who are immunocompromised. He urges everyone to seek out sources of truth, not just active misinformation campaigns, which he says are “completely false, uninformed opinions not informed by the science, by the reality of the situation.”
Friday, September 24 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. We’ll take a closer look at kids and COVID and have the latest on the vaccine and whether parents will get their children vaccinated when it’s available. We’ll also answer community questions we didn’t have time for earlier this week.
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.
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 1-312-626-6799, 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.
