Doctors at The University of Kansas Health System told reporters the hospital is currently caring for 36 inpatients, up from 25, who are confirmed positive for COVID-19. Eleven of those 36 patients are on ventilators, 14 in the ICU. All are kept apart from other patients.
Doctors want to point out that while some rural communities think this is just a “big city” disease, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that it’s traveled from coast to coast shows the disease doesn’t care where it finds a host. Click on the video below for the full news briefing.
- Rachel Pepper, DNP, Chief Nursing Officer, Kansas City Division, The University of Kansas Health System told reporters morale is good among nursing staff. She says they are reconnecting with patients on a whole new level, as many of them are learning about the new disease along with their patients.
- Dana Hawkinson, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control, continues to remind us that proper hand hygiene and keeping your hands away from your face is the single most effective way to stop the spread of the disease. He says he knows it’s hard but now is not the time to be complacent.
- Steve Stites, MD, Chief Medical Officer at the health system explains that social distancing really works. He gave the example of a colleague in a Dallas hospital who is caring for half as many patients as we are, despite the much larger population.
Thursday, April 2, at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call with media. One main topic will be how to deal with worrying about family members living in rural areas.
The feed is now available via TVU grid. The TVU source is UoK_Health and is being made available to all. You will still need to call-in to ask questions.
Telephone dial-in Participants:
Dial: 1-913-588-2222, and enter 50041981# when prompted for the Call ID.
