The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 19 COVID patients today, up from 18 yesterday. Other significant numbers:
- 10 with the active virus today, 11 yesterday
- 2 in ICU, 1 yesterday
- 0 on ventilator, 0 yesterday
- 9 hospitalized but out of acute infection phase, 7 yesterday
Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Derek Duckett, chair of Moffitt Cancer Center’s Drug Discovery Department
- Studying effects of outer space on human DNA in the International Space Station
- Understanding DNA damage is the precursor to understanding mutations that cause cancer
- One of the biggest obstacles to space travel is galactic cosmic radiation
Dr. Patsy McDonald, associate member of Moffitt's Cancer Physiology Department
- Examining the long-term effects of weightlessness and space travel on humans
- Sent two batches of cancer cells to the International Space Station to expose them to outer space and see the effects back on earth
- Keeping safe from ionizing radiation in space is a major research goal
Dr. Lane Christenson, researcher in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, The University of Kansas Medical Center
- Galactic cosmic radiation exposures studies being prepared for three-year round trip to Mars
- Looking at effects of space travel on female reproductive system
- Studies also looking at whether a man and a woman can reproduce in space
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System
- COVID numbers trending up in Missouri and down in Kansas
- Vaccination and previous infection may help keep numbers down
- If you get COVID after being vaccinated and take Paxlovid, you have a 90% less chance being hospitalized
- CDC committee meeting this month on COVID vaccine for those under five
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, The University of Kansas Health System
- Signals are northeast U.S. COVID cases have flattened and are going down. Far west cases starting to flatten. Encouraging news for the U.S.
- The increase in home testing means we may never really know the full COVID numbers
- Would be surprised if a mask mandate was reimposed, but advises masking for unvaccinated or immunosuppressed people
- We are somewhere between endemic and pandemic with COVD right now and we just need to live with it as it will be around for awhile
Friday, June 3 at 8:00 a.m. is the next live Morning Medical Update. Summer vacation time is here. Many will be traveling or spending time in the sun and at the pool. What you can do to keep your skin cancer free and your kids safe in the water.
Tomorrow we hope you’ll enjoy an encore presentation of one of our more interesting programs from the last year.
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.
