For the second day in a row, there’s a drop in the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System. After being at 36 on Monday and 27 yesterday, 23 are hospitalized today. Seven of those patients are in the ICU, up from 6 yesterday, with 4 on ventilators, same as yesterday. 30 other patients are still hospitalized from COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase.

             Is it ragweed or COVID-19?  We’ve seen patients here convinced they have only allergies and surprised when they test positive for COVID-19.  We get insight from Dr. Selina Gierer (pronounced “gear”) in allergy, immunology and rheumatology medicine plus Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon Dr. Keith Sale who is also our VP of Ambulatory Services.                                                             

            Now that we’re in the peak allergy season, Dr. Gierer hears the same questions from her allergy patients every day: How do I know if it’s just my regular seasonal allergies or COVID-19? She shared several graphics which illustrate the similarities and differences in symptoms and those that overlap. She offered tips for maintaining control of symptoms and said if you have asthma, you are at a slightly increased risk of COVID-19, but not much. She also had advice for boosting your immune system daily and advised everyone to get a flu shot. She also said allergy medications and rescue inhalers will probably not help with symptoms of COVID-19.

            Dr. Sale says allergy patients are also a big part of his ear, nose and throat practice. He told the story of one allergy patient who came in with the usual allergy symptoms, but they would not go away. After hearing the patient had been with an out-of-town friend, Dr. Sale suggested a COVID-19 test, which turned out to be positive. He described how safe an office visit is these days, with nobody in the waiting room, masked patients going directly to the exam room and staff wearing the highest level of PPE. He explained how the pandemic brought about the rise in telemedicine visits, which at one point totaled 1500 a day. He says now that in-person visits are back, the number of telemedicine visits is lower, but he says telemedicine is here to stay. Both he and Dr. Gierer say telemedicine is great for their allergy patients who don’t usually need hands-on examinations. He stressed that during this pandemic, mental health is vital and it’s important to do things that keep you mentally connected.

Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, says the 7-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases in Kansas City is up slightly from a week ago, but expects it to fluctuate up and down. He says if you have an allergy, you’re more likely to touch your face or mouth, which is why wearing a mask is so important. He says it’s too soon to know for sure if someone can be re-infected with the virus and he explained how to tell if you have the flu or COVID-19. He says following the pillars of infection prevention, leading a healthy lifestyle and eating a well-balanced diet can help fight both diseases.

Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, had advice for a viewer who asked about the need for masks for 3-5-year-olds in a pre-school setting. He says as long as the teachers and staff are following all of the right cleaning and hand washing procedures, and having the children wash hands frequently, it should be safe as children are less likely to be carriers. But he says there’s no one right answer and each family must decide based on their situation if it’s right for them.

          Thursday, September 3 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. A start-up called CVKey, co-founded by KU alum and former Google VP Brian McClendon is helping to keep students and faculty safe on campus at KU.  Brian is joined by co-founder of CVKey Marci Nielson to explain how the apps they are creating could also be put in use by the public. Chris Wilson, VP of system integration and innovation at the health system also joins the conversation. 

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