A change of pace for today’s Morning Media Update at The University of Kansas Health System. Both Dr. Stites and Dr. Hawkinson rolled up their sleeves and received their annual flu shots to start the live program. They both wanted to stress there are already reports in the country of patients with both COVID-19 and influenza and getting a flu shot will help prevent an already stressful health season from becoming worse.
The numbers of COVID-19 patients at the health system continue to rise. 34 are hospitalized today, up from 31 yesterday. Ten patients are in the ICU, up from 9 yesterday. Six patients are on ventilators, same as yesterday. 25 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase. That’s down from 32 yesterday. HaysMed has 20 inpatients today, one more than yesterday, with one patient in the recovery mode.
Today’s guests were Broderick Crawford, President of New Bethel Church (NBC) Community Development Corporation and Dr. Allen Greiner Medical Officer for the Unified Government Public Health Department. He provided details of a new NIH funded effort to improve testing across Kansas and with the goal of using this network when a vaccine becomes available.
One of the big topics addressed by the panel was news that New England Patriots defensive back Stephone Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19 after the team returned home from playing the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium Monday night. There is a picture of Gilmore and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes interacting on the field after the game. Both doctors felt such brief contact was not concerning, as the CDC says close contact for 10 minutes is more likely to spread the virus.
Dr. Greiner brought news of an NIH Grant to increase testing in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID. This is part of an NIH program called RADx-UP. It will be implemented across 10 Kansas counties: 6 rural and 4 urban. Rural counties are: Crawford (Pittsburg), Finney (Garden City), Lyon (Emporia), Riley (Manhattan), Saline (Salina) and Seward (Liberal). Urban counties are Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Wyandotte. Greiner points out there are many challenges for these underserved communities, which include those that are African American, Hispanic, and rural. Those challenges often include multiple generations in one household, high-risk, essential work, including meatpacking or cleaning industries, no health insurance, no sick leave, little access to doctors. He says working with these communities and customizing the solutions to their needs is critical. The program will include the creation of 10 Local Health Equity Action Teams.
Broderick Crawford is one of the principal investigators of the program along with Dr. Greiner and two others from KU Medical Center. He says his church has been very engaged with all things COVID-19 and helping members of his community get tested. He’s also helping them get flu shots and is working with different organizations to offer access to those vaccinations, as well as COVID-19 testing. He says the best way to encourage people to get those shots is to model the behavior, like Dr. Stites and Dr. Hawkinson did in receiving their flu shots. He says when people see that, and church leaders doing the same thing, they are more likely to follow suit. He says Thanksgiving for a lot of us will look different this year. He says he would rather not hug or be intimately close with a relative than put others at risk.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, pointed out that in the seven months of COVID-19, there have been more deaths than in five years of the flu. He addressed the safety of flying during the holidays, saying it’s vital to wear eye protection and a mask. He also discussed why some households all get the virus when one family member contracts it while other households do not see the same spread. He says we are getting closer to home testing for COVID-19 with instant results, which could go a long way toward containing the virus.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, noted that after talking with fellow chief medical officers around the city, everybody is seeing an increase in CIVID-19 patients. He says it’s alarming because this is a time of year when hospitals are busier anyway because of the flu. He says we need to be concerned that as the weather gets colder, we’re all going inside more, with a bigger risk for spreading the virus. He says now is the time to be thinking about how you and your family will observe the holidays.
Thursday, October 8 at 8:00 a.m. is the next morning media update. Pediatric specialists Dr. Stephen Lauer and Dr. Danielle Johnson return to update how the change in seasons can result in a change of mood for children already suffering in this pandemic.
