President Trump has declared the outbreak of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, to be a national emergency. In addition to providing 50 billion dollars in disaster relief to the states, the president asked hospitals across the country to activate their emergency preparedness plans.
What does that mean for The University of Kansas Health System? In the video, Dr. David Wild, vice president of Performance Improvement at the University of Kansas Health System, says the hospital has had those plans in effect for some time, and he outlines the steps the hospital has taken to deal with the outbreak. He talks about how the hospital collaborates with other organizations across the region, such as area health departments, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Mid America Regional Council. He talks about some of the changes the public has noticed, especially new signs and screening questions, and says there may be more changes coming. Dr. Wild also says the use of telemedicine may be expanded to care for patients who may not be able to come to the hospital for treatment. He also describes the current system for seeing if a patient has the virus. It involves taking a swab of the patient’s nose and throat, then sending the specimen to the KDHE for testing. The results are available within hours, but closer test facilities may soon shorten that turnaround. He says the hospital may eventually be set up to do its own COVID-19 testing, like the testing it currently does for the flu. He says while there’s no cure, the faster the diagnosis, the faster patients can begin the best treatment. He explains what role The University of Kansas Health System plays in the outbreak. And he tells us the top five things he tells patients, friends and family to do to combat the spread of the disease: Wash your hands while singing Happy Birthday, don’t touch your face, eyes or nose with your hands, sanitize your surroundings, don’t come to work sick and most importantly, call ahead before simply showing up unannounced to your doctor. Don’t go straight to the emergency room unless your doctor or the health department tells you to do so. He says The University of Kansas Health System is ready for the challenge.
The video also shows how the swabbing process works.
