CVS Health has announced 10 new drive-through test sites for COVID-19 in Kansas, including two in Kansas City, Kansas.
The sites are scheduled to begin operating on Friday, June 12.
The new testing sites are at CVS Pharmacy, 950 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas; and CVS Pharmacy, 3750 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
In addition, CVS is opening test sites in Lawrence, Leavenworth, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Topeka and Wichita, Kansas. The company has a goal of opening 1,000 test sites across the nation, according to a spokesman.
They will be self-swab tests. Clients will use the drive-through window, and stay in their vehicles, according to a spokesman. None of the tests will be done indoors. The clients will be given a test kit and instructions, while a pharmacy staff member will observe the process from the drive-through window to make sure it is done properly. The tests will be sent to an independent third-party lab for processing, with results available in about three days, according to the spokesman.
According to the spokesman, there are no out-of-pocket costs associated with the new test sites, for both insured and uninsured clients. The funding for testing was approved from the CARES Act, with costs for uninsured clients being funded through the Health and Human Services Department.
Clients should provide a photo identification card and insurance card if they have one. Residents with out-of-state identification cards should provide proof of residency.
Individuals can get a test if they meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Criteria, state and age guidelines, according to information on the CVS website. They do not need a doctor’s referral. Walk-up tests are not allowed.
Registration in advance will be necessary for the tests. Appointments can be made at https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing.
CVS will list locations of drive-through clinics at https://cvshealth.com/covid-19/testing-locations.
In Wyandotte County, the Unified Government COVID-19 website reported 1,551 total cumulative positive COVID-19 cases at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, an increase of 31 cases since 4 p.m. Tuesday The number of deaths and hospitalizations saw no change since Tuesday. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)
Doctors at a news conference sponsored by the University of Kansas Health System on Wednesday morning wondered if they were seeing the first wave of patients exposed to COVID-19 from over the Memorial Day weekend.
KU Health System reported 14 patients in the hospital on Wednesday morning, up from 11 on Tuesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, KU Health System medical director of infection prevention and control. Seven patients were in the intensive care unit, as compared to five on Tuesday, and three were on ventilators, an increase from two on Tuesday.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said a number of states now are reporting spikes in hospitalizations, traced to Memorial Day weekend, May 25.
Dr. Hawkinson said symptoms usually appear one to two weeks after exposure, and an inflammation process might be seen three to four weeks after the infection, which is when they start to see hospitalizations.
Dr. Stites said hospitalizations here are still much below the earlier peak in the 40s. Doctors noticed the jump from 10 to 14 hospitalizations, but the coming days or weeks will tell if there will be a peak.
In Wyandotte County, the Unified Government COVID-19 website reported 1,551 total cumulative positive COVID-19 cases at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, an increase of 31 cases since 4 p.m. Tuesday The number of deaths and hospitalizations saw no change since Tuesday.
In Kansas, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 10,812 cases and 240 deaths from 90 counties as of 9 a.m. Wednesday. It was an increase of 162 cases and four deaths since Monday.
During a discussion on Wednesday morning, doctors talked about isolation, loneliness, the effects of COVID-19 on Alzheimer’s patients, and also, helping adolescents cope with isolation.
Dr. Hawkinson joined the news conference by video, explaining that he was taking a vacation to the beach in Florida. He described his flight on a plane, how 80 to 90 percent of the passengers were wearing masks, how there was more space between passengers than usual, and he said he wore a mask and goggles. He said he washed his hands and used hand sanitizer frequently.
Dr. Danielle Johnson, psychologist, said isolation is harder for kids , especially teens. She encouraged families to spend time together, eat meals together, talk together and be aware if anyone is experiencing loneliness.
Dr. Jeff Burns, a neurologist who is co-director of the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center, said a third of COVID-19 deaths in the nation have taken place in long-term care facilities. He recommended using technology to stay connected with residents in nursing homes and facilities.
Dr. Greg Nawalanic, psychologist, encouraged people to socialize using technology, to read, to write letters to residents in long-term care facilities, and to send pictures from the grandchildren. He suggested asking residents about times they weren’t in the long-term care facility, such as memories of family trips and stories that take them back. He said it’s beneficial to tell stories about the past that takes the resident out of their current experience and lets them be themselves.
Testing continues
COVID-19 testing continues on Thursday afternoon at the UG Health Department parking lot, 619 Ann Ave.; at the Swope Health testing at 21 N. 12th St., Suite 400, (Bethany office building); from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at La Fe en Jesucristo, 1500 Central Ave.; and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Zotung Christian Church, 5010 Parallel Parkway.
The Unified Government COVID-19 website at 4 p.m. Tuesday reported 1,520 positive cumulative cases, with 76 deaths and 13 hospitalizations. It was an increase of 18 cases since 1 p.m. Monday, and an increase of one death since Monday. (UG COVID-19 website)
Traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a challenge.
What is the safest way to travel? What mode of transportation should you take? Should you even travel at all?
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System said it might be safer now to travel by plane, with safety precautions that have been put in place.
Dr. Wissam El Atrouni, associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said air travel is safer with various precautions that have been taken, such as extra cleaning and social distancing. Planes are often half-empty and passengers can socially distance. There are also changes at the airports to make it safer, and a lot of the stores there were closed.
He said he would recommend wearing a mask on the airplane, using hand sanitizer and social distancing.
The drawback to air travel is you don’t choose who sits next to you and you might not know if they have an infection or symptoms, according to Dr. El Atrouni.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said it’s all about the bubble and who is in it. In a car, you have control over who’s in your bubble and on a plane, there isn’t that degree of control.
There is a certain amount of anxiety people have about traveling, according to Dr. Danielle Johnson, a psychologist. It goes back to what they can control and what they can’t, she said.
In cars, people can sanitize the vehicle and know who’s in it and who’s not, while on an airplane they don’t have that sense of control.
A lot of people may struggle with the fact they have to accept what they can’t change, she said. If people decide they want to take a trip for their own mental health, for example, they may want to do things that make them feel safer, such as wearing masks, social distancing and using hand sanitizer.
Some people may benefit from building up to a larger trip by taking some smaller trips first, she said.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, said people may want to wear masks and eye protection while flying on a plane. They probably don’t need gloves, he said. Hand hygiene is important, he added.
Dr. El Atrouni, who has enjoyed traveling in the past, said he doesn’t have any plans for immediate travel. He reminded travelers to check the rules for states they want to travel to, and see if a quarantine is needed, and also to check their own state’s rules to see if a quarantine is needed coming back from the trip.
He said he would hesitate to make an international trip because of the risk that there could be a second wave that could make it difficult to come back.
He also said the epidemic isn’t over yet, and people should continue to take precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing.
Individuals are facing anxiety, a sense of loss and grief as the effects of COVID-19, Dr. Johnson said.
According to Dr. Johnson, families and individuals may find some sense of control through regularly scheduled activities such as meditation, yoga and running.
Dr. Greg Nawalanic, a psychologist, said working at home, and at the same time being with the family, can be stressful.
He said structure is a great benefit to people. Set a time to get up, to go to bed and have a dedicated work space, he said.
Two-parent families should work as a “tag team,” one working while the other takes care of the kids, then swap, he said.
With more people traveling this summer, there is a question about how to handle family gatherings.
Dr. El Atrouni said he would worry about elderly members of the family and those with health conditions, and also if they are in a high-risk exposure area.
Dr. Hawkinson said people could find out about the other family members who are coming in. Some data show that wearing a mask in family households reduces transmission as well, he said, and may be an option if the gathering is in a confined space. Otherwise, be outdoors as much as possible, he advised, and be careful to clean surfaces and avoid touching hands to the face.
Dr. Johnson said it’s possible to go outdoors to have a gathering with family. Set up tables outdoors, socially distance and find creative ways to get together, she said.
Dr. Stites said a lot has to do with a person’s tolerance of risk. It’s a personal decision.
Travel and gatherings are not as safe as home, he said, but things can be done to minimize the risk, such as social distancing, washing hands and wearing masks.
Dr. Hawkinson reported KU Health System had 11 positive COVID-19 patients on Tuesday morning, up one from Monday. Five persons were in the intensive care unit and two on ventilators.
In Wyandotte County, the Unified Government COVID-19 website at 4 p.m. Tuesday reported 1,520 positive cumulative cases, with 76 deaths and 13 hospitalizations. It was an increase of 18 cases since 1 p.m. Monday, and an increase of one death since Monday.
