A dense fog advisory is in effect Tuesday morning in Wyandotte County. (National Weather Service graphic)Fog over the Missouri River on I-635 on Tuesday morning. (KC Scout photo)
A dense fog advisory is in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday in Wyandotte County, according to the National Weather Service.
Visibilities may be a quarter mile or less, the weather service said.
Quiet weather continues on Tuesday, with a high today near 57, warming to the 60s on Wednesday, according to the weather service.
Rain chances will increase Thursday night through Friday, the weather service said.
Today, there will be areas of dense freezing fog this morning, ending by 10 a.m., the weather service said. It will be sunny later in the day, with a high near 57 and a calm wind becoming west southwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 35 and a west southwest wind of 5 to 7 mph, according to the weather service.
Wednesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 65 and a west southwest wind of 5 to 7 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon, the weather service said.
Wednesday night, it will be clear, with a low of 36 and a light and variable wind, according to the weather service.
Thursday, it will be increasingly cloudy, with a high near 62 and a south wind of 3 to 7 mph, the weather service said.
Thursday night, there is a 30 percent chance of rain after midnight, with a low of 40, according to the weather service. Less than a tenth of an inch of precipitation is in the forecast.
Friday, there is a 40 percent chance of rain, with a high near 48, the weather service said.
Friday night, it will be cloudy, with a low of 33, according to the weather service.
Saturday, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 39, the weather service said.
Saturday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 24, according to the weather service.
Sunday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 39, the weather service said.
Sunday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 24, according to the weather service.
Monday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 46, the weather service said.
It’s possible that vaccines could begin soon, according to doctors at the University of Kansas Health System.
Pfizer has already shipped some doses to centers across the country, awaiting FDA emergency use approval Thursday, according to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer for the health system.
KU Health System is one of the five sites in Kansas to receive vaccines, he said. If the FDA grants emergency use authorization on Thursday, vaccinations could begin as early as Friday, he said.
The first vaccinations here would go to health care workers. Residents of nursing homes also are on the list to get the first vaccines.
The CDC and Health and Human Services have determined the number of doses to go to each state, then each state determines who will get the vaccines first.
Kansas has sent out notifications to each center about the number of doses they will receive, the numbers they may give in their own hospitals, and the numbers they have to distribute in the communities, he said.
KU Health System has prioritized its internal vaccines to be given to front-line workers actually taking care of COVID-19 patients first, he said. Residents of nursing homes also are prioritized, and the doctors expect their hospital COVID-19 inpatients to be much lower by the end of January because of this priority.
“We have been meeting with the state and Wyandotte County, working to get everybody in those vulnerable tiers to get vaccinated first,” Dr. Dana Hawkinson, director of medical prevention and control at KU Health System, said.
They continue to get more details every week, he added.
Dr. Matthias Salathe, chair of internal medicine at KU Health System, and Dr. Kevin Ault, obstetrician and gynecologist at KU Health System and a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, answered questions about the vaccines during Monday morning’s news conference.
They discussed misinformation about the vaccines, such as it causes sterility, or that it alters genetic codes, which is not true, the doctors said. They also answered several other questions.
For the general population, vaccines may not be available for a few months, and it could be as late as summer or fall. Mask-wearing and social distancing will be necessary until then, according to the doctors.
The University of Kansas Health System reported a slight drop in the number of active COVID-19 patients on Monday at the hospital, according to Dr. Hawkinson. There were 82 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, a decrease from 87 on Friday. There were 47 patients in the intensive care unit, an increase of one from Friday, with 38 of the ICU patients on ventilators, an increase of eight from Friday. There were 59 other COVID-19 patients still in the hospital who are in the recovery phase, a decrease from 68 on Friday. The hospital had 141 total COVID-19 patients, a decrease of 14 from Friday.
HaysMed reported 25 total COVID-19 inpatients, a decrease from 33 on Friday, with 20 active patients and five in the recovery phase.
It’s likely that some patients who were infected at Thanksgiving gatherings will develop symptoms and some will be hospitalized, with hospitalizations following infections by about 10 to 14 days, according to the doctors. They are hoping any surge that might occur will be minimal.
Wyandotte County case numbers increasing
Wyandotte County reported 11,745 total cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday, with an increase of 102 since Sunday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There were 184 deaths, no change from Sunday.
Kansas reported 174,025 cumulative cases on Monday, an increase of 5,730 cases since Friday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 70 deaths reported, for a cumulative 1,856.
The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard reported 14,949,229 cumulative cases in the United States on Monday, up 192,215 since Sunday. There were 283,703 cumulative deaths reported, an increase of 1,435 deaths since Sunday.
Free COVID-19 testing available Tuesday
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, at All Saints parish, 811 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
The pop-up test is through Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force.
The Unified Government Health Department has moved its COVID-19 testing from the 6th and Ann location to the former Kmart at 78th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. The tests are now saliva COVID-19 tests.
The tests now are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
Police released a photo showing lethal doses of fentanyl and heroin.
A sharp increase in suspected overdoses in Kansas City, Kansas, is due to fentanyl, a powerful drug sometimes added to other drugs, such as heroin, according to the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
Police are warning the public tonight about the danger of illegal fentanyl, as well as opioids that may have been laced with fentanyl.
There were 23 overdoses last year, and so far this year there have been 41 suspected overdoses and nine deaths, according to Capt. Richard Harris of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
“In the last 30 days alone we have had 16 overdoses and 2 deaths –both of those have been minors, under the age of 17,” Capt. Harris said. “We are urging the public, especially parents, and anyone who has contact with young people, to pass this warning along. Hesitating to seek medical attention, even seconds, after ingesting one of these tainted pills can mean certain death.”
The majority of the fentanyl is coming in through Mexico, with some from Canada, also, according to police.
“We need the public to be aware that this warning is not just for those who are buying illegal fentanyl, but any type of opioid such as OxyContin, Vicodin, or morphine as there is a very real danger that they may have been cut or laced with fentanyl to increase their potency,” Capt. Harris said. “KCK is not unique; the increase in fentanyl overdoses and deaths is being seen across the United States. We have amateur pharmacists out on the street who clearly don’t know what they are doing, because they are creating lethal doses in a single pill.”
A spokesman said anyone with information related to the illegal use or distribution of narcotics or potential overdoses is strongly encouraged to call the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Narcotics Hotline (24 hours a day) at 913-573-6287 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
