Month: April 2021

KU doctor says thousands of deaths could result from missed screenings during pandemic

Cancer screening was affected in a major way by COVID-19, when many patients missed routine screenings, according to Dr. Ronald Chen, chair of radiation oncology and a faculty member at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Dr. Chen, with other authors, published a study in JAMA Oncology on Thursday. Dr. Chen also is associate director of health equity at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. He spoke at a news conference Thursday morning at the KU Health System.

He said about 9.4 million cancer screenings in the United States were missed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Breast cancer screenings dropped 90 percent in April 2020. Colorectal screenings decreased 79 percent, and prostate screenings were down 63 percent, according to the study.

The study found there was nearly complete recovery of the rates for breast and prostate screenings by July.

The study looked at national data to see the impact of COVID across the country and to see how much screening was missed in 2020, Dr. Chen said.

“As a physician, I wasn’t surprised to see that screenings had declined, but this study measures by how much,” Dr. Chen said. “This study makes it clear that this is a large public health issue.”

The study concluded that “public health efforts are needed to address the large cancer screening deficit, including increased use of screening modalities that do not require a procedure.”

With most of the major cancers, there are good screening tests that help catch and diagnose them in an early stage, Dr. Chen said. They want to catch it early to have the best chance of beating the cancer, he added.

With cancers that are diagnosed later, the treatment is harder for the patient, he said. For stage one cancer, often just surgery or radiation is needed, he said. Stage three may need to have chemo added, with surgery and radiation, Dr. Chen said. Stage four cancer may be incurable.

Guidelines recommend regular screening to catch cancer earlier, he said. The screening tests have been shown to save lives and to improve survival for patients, Dr. Chen said.

COVID-19 affected different regions of the country at different times, he said, and the study looked at whether the cancer screening impact followed the timing in different parts of the country. The study found the Northeast had the largest decrease in screening, with the West in a slower recovery compared to the Midwest and South.

They also studied whether there were any equity issues in screening because of COVID-19, he said.

Dr. Chen said telehealth has been an incredible development during 2020, and the study looked at it to see if patients were more likely to reschedule their screenings if they had telehealth visits. Patients were able to receive medical advice through telehealth.

“We need more studies to measure the actual impact of telehealth,” Dr. Chen added.

He said it is important for patients who have canceled a test to call and reschedule the appointments. Because of the delay in screening and treatment, COVID is expected to cause tens of thousands of more deaths, he said.


Dr. Chen’s study was published in JAMA Oncology, at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2778916.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said during the pandemic there also were huge gaps in other vaccines and programs such as polio, tuberculosis and HIV treatment programs around the world.

Also at the Thursday KU Health System news conference, Dr. David Wild, vice president of quality and safety at the health system, said the metropolitan Kansas City area had 239 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Wednesday, the highest since February. There was a 25 percent increase in the average number of new cases in the last two weeks, he said.

Free walk-in vaccinations available

Free walk-in vaccinations will be available for everyone over age 16 on Friday, April 30, at three Unified Government Health Department locations.

The three locations are the former Kmart store at 78th and State, open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday; the Kansas National Guard Armory at 18th and Ridge, Kansas City, Kansas, open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday; and the former Best Buy location at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.

Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.
To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.

Other sites available for vaccination

KU Health System offers free vaccinations seven days a week at different locations. Appointments are required. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to see if vaccines are available.

The University of Kansas Health System also is open to anyone. People can call to get an appointment whether they are patients or not at the health system.

There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacy at 76th and State Avenue, and 81st and State Avenue (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/), and Medicine Shoppe pharmacy at 65th and Parallel by appointment when available (see https://www.facebook.com/The-Medicine-Shoppe-Kansas-City-281548241870522). CVS pharmacy also has announced that it will offer COVID-19 vaccines at one of its stores in Kansas City, Kansas. Registration is at CVS.com.

Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at vaccinefinder.org.

Case numbers reported

The University of Kansas Health System reported a slight increase in COVID-19 patients Thursday. There were 13 active COVID-19 patients on Thursday morning, an increase of two from Wednesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Of the 13 patients, six were in the intensive care unit, an increase of two from Wednesday. Three patients were on a ventilator, no change from Wednesday. There were another 12 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized but are out of the acute infection phase, an increase of two from Wednesday. There is a total 25 patients, an increase of four since Wednesday.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 19 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, April 29, for a cumulative 18,438 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 290 deaths reported, no change from Wednesday.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 170,265 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 63. The number of cumulative deaths was 2,390.

KDHE reported 308,510 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, April 28, an increase of 645 cases since Monday. There were a total cumulative 4,978 deaths reported statewide, an increase of eight.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 32,288,764 cumulative cases in the United States, with 575,193 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 54,026 new cases nationwide and 948 new deaths nationwide.

States with the highest number of new cases were Florida, 5,178; Michigan, 4,943; Texas, 4,215; Pennsylvania, 3,537; and New York, 3,034, according to the Johns Hopkins information.

Countries with the highest number of new cases were India, 379,308; Brazil, 79,726; U.S., 54,026; Turkey, 40,444; and France, 31,582, according to the Johns Hopkins information.

Free testing available Friday

Unified Government Health Department COVID-19 will have three free COVID-19 testing sites open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 30. The sites are the former Best Buy store at 10500 Parallel Parkway; the former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave.; and the Kansas National Guard Armory at 100 S. 20th St. (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas.

For more information, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.

The tests 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.

Another site for COVID-19 testing beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, April 30, is Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The tests are through WellHealth. Appointments are required. For more information and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.

The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

Testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. There are more test sites listed on this page.

Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.

The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/736471267024667.

The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/292961702392386.

A weekly vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.

Wyandotte County has a local mask and social distancing ordinance approved by the UG Commission. The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.

The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.

The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.

The Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.

Woman sought in vehicle injury incident turns herself in

A woman who was sought in connection with an incident outside the Carl Bruce Middle School on Tuesday has turned herself in, according to police.

According to a spokesman, the woman was in custody in the Wyandotte County Jail this afternoon after turning herself in at Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department headquarters.

Police said on Tuesday that a vehicle struck and seriously injured the mother of a student in an incident around 3:15 p.m.

UG Commission votes to lift some COVID-19 mask and distancing restrictions

A slide from the UG Commission meeting at 5 p.m. April 29 outlined the main changes to the UG’s mask and distancing ordinance. The changes were approved at the 7 p.m. April 29 UG meeting.

On a 9-1 vote, the Unified Government Commission on Thursday night voted to lift some COVID-19 restrictions.

The action at the 7 p.m. meeting follows a similar move earlier this week by Kansas City, Missouri, and Jackson County, Missouri, to lift some restrictions. Additionally, Johnson County, Kansas, commissioners earlier today voted to make its restrictions just “recommendations.”

The new UG ordinance will remove the mask-wearing requirement outdoors and remove social distancing requirements in Wyandotte County.

However, mask-wearing requirements will remain in public places indoors. Mask removal may take place indoors when all individuals have been fully vaccinated, according to the change.

The UG Health Department still recommends continued mask-wearing and social distancing, according to Health Department officials who spoke at the 5 p.m. UG Commission meeting.

The changes go into effect tonight (at 12:01 a.m. April 30) and will remain in effect through 11:59 p.m. May 28.

As described by Misty Brown, UG attorney, the UG’s ordinance is similar to recent changes made by Kansas City, Missouri, and Jackson County, Missouri.

The latest Wyandotte County vaccination rates, out Wednesday, showed that 28 percent of the residents had received at least one dose of vaccine, while 21 percent had completed their vaccination series.

This is far below the 70 percent needed for herd immunity, according to UG Health Department doctors.

Commissioner Gayle Townsend was the only commissioner who voted against the ordinance change at the 7 p.m. meeting.

During the 5 p.m. meeting, Commissioner Townsend said she had read over the current mask and distancing ordinance.

If they relax measures while they have low vaccination numbers, they are not doing themselves and the populace any favors, she said. The numbers do not support anything other than the ordinance that was in effect, she said.

She added she was concerned about the residents of District 1, where vaccinations were not as high, and that if the individuals there become ill it always presents more of a challenge, including an economic challenge.

Commissioner Townsend had read over the current ordinance, which already had a lot of exemptions. This current ordinance said that whenever people were outdoors in public spaces and unable to maintain 6 feet of space, they had to wear a mask. If they could maintain 6 feet of distance, they were not required to wear a mask outdoors.

Commissioner Melissa Bynum asked what would happen at the Kansas City Monarchs baseball games at Village West if the ordinance change passed.

According to Juliann Van Liew, Health Department director, the owners could enforce a mask requirement if they wanted, but under the new rules, masks would not be required there unless the owners mandated it, because it is outdoors.

She also said the Health Department still encourages people to wear masks at larger venues such as concerts and sporting events.

Commissioner Bynum also asked about the Health Department allowing the three cities in the county to make their own decisions on masks.

Van Liew said it’s not the Health Department’s recommendation. There is fluidity and movement in the county, and it doesn’t make sense epidemiologically to do that, she said.

Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy UG Health Department medical officer, said it is important to move together as a county.

Commissioner Bynum also said she had received questions about why people should be concerned about other people getting vaccinated.

Van Liew said there are many people in the community who are immune-compromised, including those who have received transplants. She said many do not have an immune response. People should get vaccinated for the others in the community who can’t get a vaccine or who can’t mount an immune response, she said. And it’s also for kids, who can’t receive the vaccine yet but can still get COVID. It’s all about protecting one another, she said.

Dr. Corriveau said that people may be vaccinated but still able to carry COVID. For individuals who don’t have vaccinations, if they are not in the same household, it is important to wear a mask, she said. The risk of gathering together with people who are not vaccinated is not worth taking at this point, especially with variants.

Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer, said the virus will stay around until enough people are vaccinated, when it will burn itself out. It took decades to get polio and smallpox eliminated in the United States, he said. If not enough people are vaccinated, COVID-19 will stay around.

Dr. Greiner said Wyandotte County has been giving out vaccines at a rate of around 1,500 a week, and at that rate, it won’t reach 70 percent of the residents until early 2022. Seventy percent is the bare minimum to reach herd immunity, he said.

With a recent slowdown in the rate of people getting vaccinated here, and also in other communities, there were several initiatives Wyandotte County is implementing.

According to Van Liew, on the week of May 10, the Health Department will launch a third mobile vaccination team that will be able to respond to larger vaccination events. They currently have two teams that can do 30 to 50 vaccinations in an afternoon, and in the future, the will be able to do 100. Residents may request mobile vaccination through the UG Health Department’s COVID-19 website.

During the week of May 10, the Health Department will limit the hours at the Best Buy and Armory vaccination facilities, with the former Best Buy open on Monday and Tuesday, and the Armory open Wednesday through Saturday, she said.

The Health Department also will send teams to canvass neighborhoods that have low vaccination rates, according to Van Liew. Six persons have been hired from the Zip Code areas that have low vaccination rates, she said. They have been trained to discuss vaccination options, science, and will answer questions of residents.

Also launched is an initiative to reach the African-American community through six flagship churches, plus 30 cohort churches, she said. Churches will receive money for the outreach effort. The churches will do outreach with members, encouraging vaccinations. So far, almost 1,900 people have been vaccinated through this effort, she added.

They are currently planning a similar initiative for Hispanic churches, she added.

The Health Department also has held a town hall meeting with the Congolese community, involving churches and community leaders, according to Van Liew.

In addition, an event was held for the Nepalese community at the Armory, where hundreds participated, she said.

The Health Department also launched a poster contest to engage children, she said. The deadline for that contest is April 30. Gift cards will be given to winners of the contest.

A business outreach has also been started, and businesses were asked to reach out to their neighborhoods to promote vaccinations.

There also have been meetings with more than 160 businesses, and also with business groups, she said.

The UG Commission discussed the changed ordinance at its 5 p.m. special session, but did not make the proposed ordinance itself available until just before the 7 p.m. meeting. The vote was added to the 7 p.m. agenda after 6 p.m. April 29.

The 5 p.m. April 29 UG Commission meeting is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXaYkQfLySc.

The revised UG ordinance is on the revised UG agenda for 7 p.m. April 29 at https://www.wycokck.org/Clerk/Agendas.aspx.