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Overcrowded hospitals could happen here, doctors say

Kansas reported 21,965 cumulative cases on Friday, an increase of 1,032 cases in the state since Wednesday, according to figures from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were no new deaths on Friday. Wyandotte County cases increased by 115 cases on Friday, according to the UG’s COVID-19 website. (Graph from KDHE)

Faced with another day of rising hospital admissions, doctors at the University of Kansas Health System Friday warned that overcrowded hospital conditions, such as what is happening in Texas, could happen here.

While Kansas City area hospitals are not at capacity today, they could easily run out of beds if people don’t change their social behavior, said Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System. He spoke at a KU Health System news conference Friday.

Dr. Stites said he was on a conference call on Thursday with six other chief medical officers of Kansas City area hospitals, and the number of COVID-19 patients are rising fairly rapidly at all the hospitals.

“The number of new cases in Kansas City, Wyandotte County and Johnson County are really rising rapidly,” Dr. Stites said. “That’s a concern.”

Kansas is on a national list for rapid growth of COVID-19 cases.

He said they would probably watch the numbers rise, and he would not be surprised if there would eventually be 60 to 70 COVID-19 cases in the hospital.

Dr. Stites also warned that young people do not get a free pass; they can get COVID-19, also.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, said the rising number of cases could overwhelm the hospital’s bed capacity and create a shortage of personal protective equipment. Since some of the population now getting ill are younger, there might be shorter hospital stays without so much use of the ventilators, he believes.

“We know how to protect ourselves, physical distancing works, along with hand hygiene,” Dr. Hawkinson said. He noted that society already has a number of rules, such as not being able to go into a store and smoke, because it is a public health issue. The same goes for mask-wearing, he said.

On Friday, they heard from Dr. Sonja Bartolome, chief quality officer at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who trained at KU Health System and now is in Dallas, Texas. She said the number of cases there now is stressing the system. Bars there have been closed because of outbreaks, and the high numbers are starting to level off, she said.

Dr. Bartolome said bars may lead to the spread of COVID-19 as people are together in groups, not wearing masks and not keeping six feet apart.

She urged people to continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask, wash their hands and avoid crowds.

Wyandotte County reported 115 new COVID-19 cases, with the total at 3,432 at 1 p.m. Friday, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was no increase in the numbers of deaths, and the total stayed at 88.

Although Wyandotte County’s numbers shot up over 100 cases Friday, for the first time in many weeks, Wyandotte County no longer had the highest number of cases in Kansas. That designation goes to Johnson County, which on Friday had a total of 3,654 cases, according to the KDHE website.

KU Health System reported 35 COVID-19 patients on Friday morning, an increase of one from Thursday, according to Dr. Hawkinson. Twelve were in the intensive care unit and four were on ventilators, the same as Thursday. On Monday, there were 22 COVID-19 patients in the hospital.

Kansas reported 21,965 cumulative cases on Friday, an increase of 1,032 cases since Wednesday, according to figures from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were no new deaths on Friday.

Other counties in Kansas with large numbers of COVID-19 cases included
Sedgwick County, 2,790;
Ford County, 2,053;
Finney County, 1,578;
Leavenworth County, 1,274;
Shawnee County, 1,146;
Seward County, 1,047;
Lyon County, 540;
Douglas County, 500;
Riley County, 360;
Crawford County, 332.

The KU doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/4195586530515254

For information on the amended Wyandotte County mask order, visit https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020MaskOrderAmendments.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020LocalHealthOfficerOrderMaskAmendments.pdf.

The governor’s executive order on masks is at https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf.

The governor’s news release on the mask order is at https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-laura-kelly-signs-executive-order-mandating-masks-in-public-spaces/.

The Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020LocalHealthOfficerOrderRegardingMasks.pdf.

Wyandotte County has posted an application for nonprofits, government agencies, school districts and businesses in Wyandotte County that want to apply for CARES Act funding. The web address is https://us.openforms.com/Form/6273fe80-8bba-4c18-b4e7-e551096d8a83.

For information on how to make an easy no-sew mask, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/how-to-make-a-no-sew-cloth-mask/.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, including other sites, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. Residents also may call 3-1-1 for more information about testing.

The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.

Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.

Wyandotte County is currently under Phase 3. See covid.ks.gov.

The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.

The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Wyandotte County COVID-19 cases increase by 166

Wyandotte County positive COVID-19 cases increased by 166 from noon Wednesday to noon Thursday, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. Also, hospital numbers are rising.

There were 3,317 cases reported at noon Thursday, an increase of 166, according to the UG’s COVID-19 website.

There were no new deaths listed in Wyandotte County, the total remained at 88.

On Tuesday evening, Wyandotte County health officials announced the mask order would also apply to persons who are exercising indoors at gyms or facilities, and also to day cares.

Gov. Laura Kelly announced on Wednesday that school start would be delayed until at least Sept. 9 in Kansas because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

According to the UG’s COVID-19 website, the Zip Code with the highest number of recent cases in Wyandotte County was 66102, which reported 238 cases in the past 14 days. Zip Code 66104 reported 135 cases, and Zip Code 66106 reported 114 cases. Zip Code 66101 had 108 cases in the past 14 days. Zip Code 66103 reported 69 cases, according to the website.

The University of Kansas Health System reported a total of 34 COVID-19 patients in the hospital on Thursday morning, an increase from 30 on Wednesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System. Twelve COVID-19 patients were in the intensive care unit and four were on ventilators, compared to two on ventilators on Wednesday. There were seven new admissions Wednesday and several discharges. One of the patients admitted is a teenager.

Dr. Hawkinson said they were running low on critical medications such as remdesivir, and he hopes they do not run short of medications to make patients comfortable while they are on the ventilator.

At a KU Health System news conference on Thursday morning, Dr. Doug Girod, chancellor of the University of Kansas, said the KU Lawrence campus is planning for an influx of students in a few weeks for the fall semester.

The university will test all students for COVID-19, with a free saliva test, according to Dr. Girod.

Students who test positive will be quarantined in Naismith Hall, according to Dr. Girod. They will have the help of the county health department in contact tracing. He said that the county health department, the university campus health center, KU Health System and the state health department have been assisting in making plans.

Monitoring and testing will continue through the semester, he said.

Everyone on campus will wear a mask and there will be social distancing in classrooms and other places, according to Dr. Girod. They will try to avoid face-to-face interaction by making stairways and hallways one-way.

He said there will be a combination of in-person and remote classes.

Lawrence recently saw a spike and new cases were traced back to a few bars, he said. Douglas County closed bars again and new cases started to decline.

Dr. Girod also said some researchers have developed an app that they hope will be used on campus. It asks a series of questions each morning, then gives the person a code that might say the person is not symptomatic at that time. Then the code could be entered into buildings. If there are symptoms, the app will tell the user to call a hotline and get tested.

Dr. Hawkinson said the virus is still out there and people should continue to follow guidance, physical distance, wear a mask, not go out if sick and wash their hands to reduce the risk as much as possible and keep their families safe.

To view the KU doctors’ news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/290096935440894.

For information on the amended Wyandotte County mask order, visit https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020MaskOrderAmendments.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020LocalHealthOfficerOrderMaskAmendments.pdf.

The governor’s executive order on masks is at https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf.

The governor’s news release on the mask order is at https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-laura-kelly-signs-executive-order-mandating-masks-in-public-spaces/.

The Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020LocalHealthOfficerOrderRegardingMasks.pdf.

For information on how to make an easy no-sew mask, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/how-to-make-a-no-sew-cloth-mask/.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, including other sites, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. Residents also may call 3-1-1 for more information about testing.

The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.

Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.

Wyandotte County is currently under Phase 3. See covid.ks.gov.

The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.

The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

School start to be delayed until Sept. 9 statewide, governor says

Positive COVID-19 cases have increased significantly recently in Kansas. (KDHE graphic)

Gov. Laura Kelly today said she would issue an executive order delaying the start of school until Sept. 9 throughout Kansas.

The state also will require masks to be worn in kindergarten through 12th grade schools throughout the state, she said.

In Kansas City, Kansas, Edwin Birch, a spokesman for the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools stated, “We appreciate today’s announcement by Governor Laura Kelly to delay the reopening of schools until after Labor Day. The governor’s decision will allow KCKPS additional time to discuss and evaluate our proposed options for reopening school. We understand there will be additional questions related to what the delay will mean for our school district, we plan to provide those details in the coming days. The health and safety of our students, staff and their families will always remain a priority as we continue to review reopening options.”

Only kindergarten through grade 12 was covered by today’s announcement, not universities and colleges. Wyandotte County had earlier issued its own guidance for reopening schools on June 22.

Positive COVID-19 cases have increased in recent weeks in Kansas. There was an 8 percent increase in cases over the last weekend, the governor said at the news conference.

On Wednesday, the state reported 20,933 cases, an increase of 875 since Monday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were also 11 more deaths from Monday to Wednesday, according to KDHE figures, for a total of 299 cumulative deaths.

Gov. Kelly said there had been an average 241 new coronavirus cases a day in the seven-day average period ending Monday, the worst seven-day average ever for Kansas.

The state flattened the curve before Memorial Day, but after that, political pressures forced the state to make the health orders voluntary. After Memorial Day, the numbers trended up as many counties decided to lift the orders.

Gov. Kelly said she had hoped when the she made the orders “guidance,” not mandatory, that county officials would step in and require the counties to stay in the reopening plan, and to require masks, but most counties did not do that.

Intensive care unit capacity in Lawrence and Wichita hospitals are under threat, and cases in the younger population continue to rise, Gov. Kelly said.

“We have lost nearly 300 Kansans,” Gov. Kelly said. “Can any of you imagine any other circumstance where friends and neighbors die from a single cause where we would not all jump into action to do our part?”

Some leaders have downplayed the virus and its effects, and they are now seeing the consequences, she said.

Kansas issued the mask order before the Fourth of July because they had seen what happened on the Memorial Day weekend, she said.

Gov. Kelly quoted Vice President Mike Pence’s statements that masks were “instruments of freedom if we use them.”

CDC officials have said COVID-19 could be controlled in one to two months if everyone did their part and wore masks, she said.

She thanked the counties and cities that have implemented the mask orders. Harvey and Reno counties changed course on Tuesday and implemented the mask order after a rise in cases, she added.

“I believe that real leaders aren’t afraid to confront crises head on. They don’t sit back silently and wait for the situation to get worse. That’s what I have done and will continue to do regardless of the political consequences,” Gov. Kelly said.

Gov. Kelly said she was issuing her executive orders because the state Board of Education’s plan approved earlier today is not mandatory, but guidance.

The extra three weeks, delaying opening of the schools, will allow schools time to prepare for supplies such as sanitizers and masks, according to the governor. It also will give time for the coronavirus to deline.

She said they can’t risk the lives of students, teachers, staff and parents by reopening too early.

The state Board of Education, according to the governor, has put together a plan allowing districts to choose whether to open schools in person, with distance learning, or with a hybrid of in person and distance learning. The state Board of Education must approve the governor’s school opening date.

Dr. Randy Watson, state education commissioner, said the state Board of Education today accepted a document that set out the plans for schools to reopen. Nearly 1,000 Kansans worked on the plan, he said.

“We need students in school, no one disputes that,” he said. “We have to do so with safety as our top priority.”

Education and health officials have worked on the state’s plan, he said. Each school district will make its own decision on reopening, and he will work with the districts on it, he added.

Masks, disinfection, sanitizing and training are all part of the plans for school reopening.

Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, posted a message on social media: “The governor’s announcement to cancel school until September must be affirmed by the State School Board in accordance to the bill she just signed (HB2016). It is my hope when the board contemplates this decision, they take into consideration that one size doesn’t fit all. The legislature intended to pass these decisions on to local governing authorities, where teachers, parents and health care professionals all have a voice and can, in a collaborative manner, do what is best for their children and their community. “

Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said at the governor’s news conference that the White House categorized Kansas as a COVID-19 “red zone” on Tuesday, indicating that new cases were increasing rapidly.

Dr. Norman remarked that every week that residents don’t take COVID-19 seriously sets the state back 14 days, because the incubation period is two weeks. This weekend’s case numbers reflect actions taken on the Fourth of July, he said.

He said while they don’t fully understand the nature of the coronavirus, it is much more serious than the flu, and many people leave the hospital still facing serious issues. It affects more than the respiratory system, he added.

Since there are some incubation periods between now and Sept. 9, COVID-19 can be reduced and pushed down like the did before, according to Dr. Norman.

“We must wear masks, we must socially distance,” he said. If the state’s actions continue, the numbers will increase, it could break the hospital system, which is already somewhat strained, and there is no way they can return to school this fall if they continue this trajectory, he said.

“Decisions Kansans make in the weeks to come will determine whether we gain control of the spread or let the virus inevitably rage on,” he said.

“It is important as Kansans we acknowledge our actions as individuals impact our community and state. Just because you can do something like work when you are ill or attend a large gatherings, does not mean you should,” Dr. Norman said.

To view the governor’s news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/277260523563415.

To see an earlier story on schools reopening, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/kckps-explores-options-for-reopening-schools-in-the-fall/

For more information on the state Board of Education’s school reopening guidance, visit https://www.ksde.org/Home/Quick-Links/News-Room/state-board-of-education-accepts-school-reopening-guidance-document-1.

Wyandotte County’s education reopening guidance for K-12 schools, from June 22, is online at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/ReStartWyCoK12EducationReopening.pdf.