The number of COVID patients at The University of Kansas Health System continues rising today. 46 patients with the active virus are being treated, up from 43 yesterday. Only seven are vaccinated.19 of those patients are in the ICU, up from 18 yesterday. Only three in the ICU are vaccinated and all three have significant comorbidities like obesity, asthma, and a heart attack. 12 of those patients are on ventilators. 18 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID but are out of the acute infection phase. That’s a total of 64 patients. HaysMed has nine total patients today, down from 12 yesterday.
Today, another episode of Open Mics With Dr. Stites. It’s a chance every Wednesday for Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, to bring us up to date on all things COVID, and dive deep into other medical topics, as well as answer media and community questions. Dr. Catherine Satterwhite, regional health administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services joined to discuss the importance of getting vaccinated and protecting those around you. Also, Dr. Lewis Satterwhite, pulmonary and critical care physician at the health system, with the different treatments available for those fighting COVID.
Dr. Stites summarized the warning that all of the chief medical officers gave last week. The biggest message to public health officials, elected officials, school officials and city leaders is health systems are now at a worse point than last November, the last time they sounded the alarm. He says last January, we bent the curve by getting vaccinated and following the rules of infection prevention. It’s time to do that again.
Dr. Catherine Satterwhite has a message for those wishing the FDA would hurry up and give final approval to the COVID vaccines: Be patient, it won’t be much longer, perhaps before Labor Day. She described the rigorous review process involved, but says once that happens, it will put the vaccines firmly in the category of those currently routinely recommended, and in some cases required. On the Health Department’s report that of the 74,000 fans who went to the Garth Brooks concert at Arrowhead, only 35 took advantage of the chance to get vaccinated, she says that’s 35 more than were vaccinated before. She only hopes the majority of everyone else was vaccinated. She says everyone in healthcare is feeling a bit of a flashback to last year with the resurgence of the Delta variant. She admits nobody’s thrilled about wearing a mask again but explained why it’s necessary until more people are vaccinated. She also urges us all to please support our kids wearing them in schools, especially for those not old enough to be vaccinated. She says there’s no question they are better off in classrooms than at home. She also advises us to listen with empathy to those who don’t believe the science behind vaccines and masks. She suggests we engage them in conversation instead of just trying to make it black and white.
Dr. Lewis Satterwhite says the ICU is extremely busy, but not just with COVID patients. There are plenty of cardiac, cancer and transplant patients who still need a bed, and beds are getting harder to come by with the crush of COVID patients. He doesn’t feel the Delta variant is making patients any sicker than the Alpha variant but says Delta’s easier transmission means more patients. The current surge of patients is taking a toll on the staff, who thought we had turned a corner a few months ago. He feels bad that very soon, the health system, and most hospitals, won’t be able to say yes to everyone who needs that level of care. By far the most common sentiment he hears from COVID patients in the ICU is they wish they had taken it seriously and been vaccinated.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, says the mRNA platform for the COVID vaccine is the best for allowing a pivot to the latest variant. He says there are still too many myths about COVID, one of the biggest that children can’t get it or spread it. He says far too many people are believing significant misinformation campaigns, and that’s costing lives. He says the fact is the vaccines are extremely effective at keeping you from going to the hospital and keeping you from dying.
Dr. Stites said the health system is taking a hard look at requiring the vaccine of its employees, but probably won’t do so until the FDA gives full approval. He also said there’s a huge difference between research conducted by scientists and medical professionals versus research done by the general public. The internet is an unfiltered source of information while trusted medical journals like JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine only publish information that has been rigorously reviewed and critiqued.
Thursday, August 12 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update with a look at how the COVID pandemic is causing concerns regarding your eye health. Also, helping cope with back-to-school anxiety.
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.
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