You can count the number of active COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System on one hand today. Five people with the active virus are being treated, down from eight yesterday. Of those patients, one is in the ICU and on a ventilator. 18 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 20 yesterday. That’s a total of 23 patients, down from 28 yesterday. A big day for HaysMed too, with zero active COVID-19 inpatients, down from seven yesterday, and seven in the recovery phase. Doctors noted it’s been almost a year since the numbers have been this low.
On today’s Morning Media Update, Dr. Roopa Sethi, Addiction Clinic Medical Director, and Cyndi Brooks, Addiction Clinic Nurse Manager at The University of Kansas Health System joined with researcher Dr. Ann Manzardo, at KUMC to share news of a new shot delivering a proven medication to treat opioid and heroin addicts. The pandemic coupled with a reduction in prescribing opioids has created the perfect storm for increased addictions as well as increased desire to get off pain medications. This new delivery method is considered a “game changer.”
Doctors showed a video featuring 38-year-old Clint Adams, who shared his story of a 20-year opioid addiction. After breaking his ankle when he was 19, doctors prescribed pain medication, which led him to an addiction and craving for more powerful drugs. He went through treatment plans to please his family but seemed to always relapse. Then a new option became available called Sublocade, which is given as a monthly injection in a doctor’s office. He became the first patient to receive it at The University of Kansas Addiction Treatment Center and it’s changed his life. He’s been sober for 90 days and taking things one day at a time but looks forward to gaining back the trust of his family, girlfriend and his friends.
Dr. Sethi, who is treating Clint, thinks he is doing phenomenal. She explained how Sublocade works by continuously releasing medicine into the body for a month at sustained levels without the daily ups and downs of other medications. It binds to the opiate receptors in the body and eliminates the cravings and the withdrawal. Even if someone were to use opiates, they would not feel the usual pleasant effects because the body’s receptors are occupied with the medicine. That helps deter people from using opiates. She calls it a game changer, especially for those who can’t come daily to a clinic for medicine because of work or distance. She urges anyone who needs help to call the clinic at 913-588-6493. She says most insurance plans cover Sublocade, and Kansas has a grant to help pay for those without insurance.
Cyndi Brooks explained how the clinic visit works, and why it’s important for a patient to receive the medicine in a clinical setting, especially since the injection is given in the stomach. She said the side effects are minimal and added that anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who is addicted to opiates is a candidate. She’s very excited about this medication because it requires fewer clinic visits for patients, who know they will be stable throughout the month and can get on with their lives.
Dr. Manzardo says the opioid crisis combined with the pandemic has created a perfect storm for those with addiction problems. She presented study results showing that stress and anxiety from the pressures associated with the economic shutdown have caused an increase in addictions of all kinds. She said the CDC reports a tripling or quadrupling of anxiety and depression since the pandemic began, and in the state of Kansas alone, a doubling of overdose deaths in April and May last year after the shutdown. She says it’s been a “heroic effort” on the part of caregivers over the past year to help those coping with stress and anxiety.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at The University of Kansas Health System, discussed what we’ve learned about COVID-19 in the last year, including how it does and doesn’t spread. The biggest lesson, he says, is that our own individual behavior makes a difference. Since the virus spreads when people get together in large and small groups, he said hand washing, masking and social distancing have proven to be effective in stopping that spread. He also says it’s OK to delay the 2nd shot, if necessary and points out that it could help your body continue to develop the initial adaptive immune response to the first dose. He warns that spring break is a concern, especially with virus variants out there, but says the vaccines still offer protection from them, and believes it will make a difference with more and more of them becoming available.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, has this message for those who are 25-30 years old who don’t want the vaccination: “It’s not all about you.” He points out you can still get the virus and spread it and reminds us we need 70 to 80 percent of the population vaccinated to help end the pandemic. He heard this morning that the supply of vaccine in Kansas is supposed to quadruple in the next few weeks and says that could allow everyone in the state to get vaccinated within eight weeks. He reminds us that faith, hope, science and love will get us through the pandemic.
Friday, March 12 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Media Update. Dr. David Wild will join us to help catch up on your questions from the week.
ATTENTION: media procedure for calling in:
The meeting is available by Zoom, both video and by phone. To join the Zoom Meeting by video, click https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628
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The feed is also available via TVU grid. The TVU source is UoK_Health and is being made available to all.
Feel free to send questions in advance to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.