The numbers of COVID patients at The University of Kansas Health System are holding relatively steady with 18 patients with the active virus being treated, down from 19 on Monday. Six of those patients are in the ICU, down from seven yesterday. Two are on ventilators, down from four yesterday. There are 15 other patients who are still hospitalized because of COVID but are out of the acute infection phase, up from 12 on Monday. HaysMed has 16 active and six recovering, for a total of 22 patients, which is still significant given capacity issues with a smaller hospital.
With two thirds of Americans planning to host a Thanksgiving Day gathering with the same amount of people or more than before the pandemic, according to a recent poll by Monmouth University, people may be wondering what they can do to stay physically and emotionally safer.
Dr. Elizabeth Silver, Managing Director of the Poison Control Center at The University of Kansas Health System, and Dr. Jessica Hamilton, Psychologist at the Health System, joined the program to discuss several Thanksgiving-related topics to keep the food and mind healthy.
Dr. Silver said there are several different types of foodborne illness ranging from bacteria like salmonella to viruses like norovirus. They can affect people in different ways, depending on their age and risk factors, so it’s important to follow specific cleaning and food prep guidelines. Some topline tips include:
- Clean – make sure the food prep workspace is clean. Don’t wash the turkey as the water splatter can actually spread raw turkey juice around the kitchen.
- Chill – Store food at proper temperature – before and after dinner -- about 40 degrees F; Don’t leave food out too long (about 2 hours at room temp).
- Separate – Keep raw poultry from vegetables and make sure prep surfaces are cleaned after raw poultry touches them.
- Cook – Make sure foods reach an adequate internal temperature. The CDC recommends 165 degrees F for turkey.
Holiday gatherings can also lead to increased calls to the Poison Control Center. Most of the calls involve children, according to Dr. Silver. Common issues include medication improperly stored when children go to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving, alcohol left unattended, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) is a free service available 24/7 and can help assess whether 911 needs to be called, you should go to a hospital, or can treat the issue at home. Dr. Silver stresses that parents should not feel embarrassed to call if they need to.
“We don’t want parents to feel concerned about calling when maybe they’ve left their kid unattended for a moment,” she said. “Kids get into everything. Trust me, we’ve heard it all and we are just there to triage to relieve any type of nervous energy that you might have around the exposure.”
In addition to the physical toll hosting Thanksgiving can have, there is also a mental aspect as well. There are multiple issues people are dealing with: food prep, food safety, entertaining people, etc.
Dr. Hamilton recommends pacing yourself.
“Creating a list or a schedule that you can adhere to or being comfortable about saying ‘no, that’s too much for me right now’ – the more you can pace, the better you will be,” said Dr. Hamilton. Trying to do it all at the last-minute usually leads to a higher risk of anxiety.
When it comes to keeping politics away from the dinner table, Dr. Hamilton suggests setting ground rules. Emails to guests before dinner about what time to be there and what to bring can include a reminder about the types of topics “off the table” for discussion. Also, activities like games or “conversation jars” can help steer the Thanksgiving Day conversation to more positive discussions.
Between holidays, depression can be a factor. The lack of sunlight can be one culprit and Dr. Hamilton recommends that people stay active and on schedule.
“Keeping your schedule regulated can be very beneficial to seasonal affective disorder,” she said. “Make sure you’re engaged in those behavioral activities that keep your heart pumping and engaged in a physical way.”
Part of the anxiety this Thanksgiving can be feeling safe with people who didn’t get vaccinated or have opinions about the vaccine. Dr. Hamilton suggests focusing on things you can control helps reduce anxiety. Talk to physicians to assess levels of risk for you and your family. Knowledge is power and helps make the best decision for you.
Community questions included asking about the safety of kids with one vaccine shot or no shots. Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, said it is up to every individual’s bubble to assess those risks. He underscored that every with one dose, there has been proven immunity. He was also asked about boosters and if they will be needed every six months.
“So, if you haven’t gotten your booster, if you are under 65 and if you don’t have any co-morbidities, you are still very protected from the virus,” he said. There is not enough data to indicate what the booster process will be moving forward.
He was also asked about immunity from recovering from the virus versus vaccine immunity. “There is more and more evidence coming out to suggest that those people who get vaccinated have a broader antibody response to variants of concern as compared to the people who were just infected but did not receive the vaccine,” Dr. Hawkinson said.
On questions about the vaccine being altered to battle variants, Dr. Hawkinson said that the data shows that these vaccines are still highly effective against the virus.
Finally, an important question was asked about distinguishing symptoms of foodborne illness versus COVID. Some key questions to ask are:
- When are the onset of symptoms? Is it a few hours after eating?
- Are more than just you sick? Or did anyone else who ate the same dinner have the same symptoms?
- What are the symptoms? Nausea and vomiting are key symptoms of foodborne illness. While these symptoms can overlap with COVID, symptoms of COVID are more likely to include respiratory symptoms.
Throughout all of the stresses of the season, it is important to focus on what matters. “This season is supposed to be about being thankful and enjoying our friends and our family,” Dr. Hamilton said. “And if we focus on that, the anxiety about the other stuff can dissipate.”
Wednesday, November 24 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update…three Stevens in one show. Dr. Steven Simpson, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Specialist and Dr. Steven Lauer, Pediatrician are the scheduled guests for Open Mics with Dr. Steve Stites. The three Steve’s will react to a recent proclamation by the Kansas Governor around another important health alert.
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.