The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 44 COVID patients today, down from 50 on Monday. Other significant numbers:
- 26 with the active virus today, 27 Monday
- 4 in ICU, 3 Monday
- 1 on ventilators, 1 Friday
- 23 hospitalized but out of acute infection phase, 21 Friday
Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Stephen Thornton, toxicologist, medical director Poison Control, emergency department physician
- Explained that venomous is the correct term, rather than poisonous, to describe creatures like snakes, wasps, spiders or even catfish spines that inject you with venom. Poisonous is something that contains a toxin like a mushroom.
- Poison Control has received 36 snakebite calls so far this year and gets about 40 to 50 a year.
- Snakebite season in the Midwest is April through September
- Most common venomous snakes in our area are copperheads and rattlesnakes
- Bites from these snakes are rarely fatal, but the venom can cause pain, swelling and tissue destruction
- The most important thing to do if bitten by a snake is remain calm and try to elevate the area of the bite. Then seek help within an hour or two at a hospital which has antivenom. Not all hospitals have it.
- Antivenom may take several doses to be effective
- There is no need to kill the snake or try to identify it. The same antivenom works for all common snake bites in the Midwest.
- A common myth is that you need to suck the venom out of a snakebite wound
- Children can get sicker from a snake bite because there is more venom per body area than adults
- Venomous snakes are bigger and bulkier than others and tend to have a triangular head. Best advice, since we can’t always tell which snakes are venomous and which are not, is to leave them all alone.
Dakota Johnston, snakebite victim
- Was bitten on the foot by a copperhead five years ago while camping with a group of friends
- Didn’t realize at first that he had stepped on the snake. It felt like a strong bee sting.
- Was able to get to a hospital for antivenom within a couple of hours. Spent one night in the ICU but needed only one dose.
- The worst part was the week after the bite with swelling of his foot and leg. Took about a week to recover before being able to fully walk and resume normal activities.
- Has no permanent problems from the bite
- Next time will definitely wear boots instead of flip-flops when walking in the woods and keep flashlight on
Sean Putney, director, Kansas City Zoo
- Zoo has many varieties of snakes in their collection, none venomous
- Snakes have an important role in our ecosystem, mostly keeping the rodent population down
- Does not know of any landscaping for homeowners that would deter snakes. In fact, the more plantings or rock gardens you have around the exterior of your house, the more potential homes for snakes to hide in or crawl around.
- Snakes can make good pets. They eat small mice, which can be bought already frozen.
- The majority of snakes in the wild try to avoid humans and usually bite only as a defensive mechanism
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System
- Seeing a downward trend in number of hospitalized COVID patients
- No new variants beyond B.A. 5 on the rise
- Mask mandates at schools mostly not happening. It’s a myth that children are less affected by COVID than adults
- Those who take home COVID tests often miss the crucial step of reporting positive results to health authorities
- Some politicians advocating doing away with vaccine mandates, but he believes this is the worst public health thing we can do
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, The University of Kansas Health System
- National heat map of COVID cases shows fewer dark colors in several regions
- Important to remember that the current B.A. 5 strain is highly contagious
- Those who have not had enough vaccines and boosters are most vulnerable
- Snakes are important to our environment and best to respect them and leave them alone
Friday, August 12 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning Medical Update. Do you have the travel bug? Itching to go somewhere? You're not alone. But hopping on a flight like you did pre- COVID isn't as simple. We help tackle the travel stress.
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
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Send advance questions to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.