Category: Health

There were three more COVID-19 deaths reported on Tuesday morning in Wyandotte County, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage.

The number of deaths increased from seven on Monday to 10 on Tuesday. There were 190 positive COVID-19 cases and 53 patients hospitalized, according to the UG’s COVID-19 page. There were 190 positive COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 845 positive cases in the state.

Doctors emphasize good hygiene

Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System on Tuesday continued to emphasize good hygiene, staying at home, washing hands and keeping at least six feet away from others.

They had about 33 to 35 positive COVID-19 patients at the University of Kansas Health System on Tuesday, and recently had some discharged patients, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director for infection control. There were around nine patients on ventilation, with some coming off ventilation recently.

According to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, they have not hit a surge yet, and are currently in good shape with the number of ventilators.

Dr. Hawkinson said he hoped that they would continue to flatten the curve.

He said KU Health System is participating in some trials of medications to see how effective and safe they are.

Doctors also said they are seeing some reductions in hospital admissions for patients in the health system. Some elective surgeries have been canceled.

On Tuesday, the doctors’ presentation included information about mental health hospital facilities available for youth, and the importance of having advance planning for care in case of emergencies.

Dr. Mitchell Douglas, medical director of the Marillac Center, said the number of youth coming to the center is down during this coronavirus epidemic, but the number who have attempted suicide is up. He said some families may be afraid to bring family members in to the hospital currently because of the fear of coronavirus. He urged parents who are concerned about their adolescents to call a helpline, doctor or a health facility.

He said measures are in place at the hospital to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus spreading. Temperatures are checked, visitors are limited, surfaces are cleaned, staff members are wearing masks and social distancing is taking place, he said.

Dr. Karin Porter-Williamson, director of palliative care for the KU Health System, said they are trying to overcome how hard it is for patients to be separated, and using telemedicine to bring families together. She said one of the most important things to do currently is to talk to loved ones about what is important in their living, maintain a connection with them, talk to doctors about management of any disease they have, and what concerns the doctors would have if they became sick from COVID-19.

“The more people can do to prepare themselves and their loved ones in this way is really important now,” she said.

Triage protocols also were discussed. If a time comes when health care is out of resources to help, a coalition of medical providers, medical ethicists, nurses and other professionals will be working to say how they can save as many lives as possible in a horrible situation, she said. Kansas and the military already have such guidelines, according to the doctors.

To view the doctors’ video news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/525731598374443/

The Unified Government’s COVID-19 website is at https://www.wycokck.org/COVID-19.

To view Kansas Department of Health and Environment COVID-19 information, visit
https://public.tableau.com/profile/kdhe.epidemiology#!/vizhome/COVID-19Data_15851817634470/KSCOVID-19CaseData.

Information from the Centers for Disease Control is online at
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/.

Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday said Kansas is trying to secure additional personal protective equipment for health care workers and first responders.

The governor made her remarks while positive COVID-19 cases went up another 98 cases today, for a total of 845 cases, with three more deaths from Sunday, bringing the total to 25 statewide deaths.

Gov. Kelly said there were three ways the state was trying to get more supplies of masks, gowns, gloves and ventilators – first, through the strategic national stockpile managed by Health and Human Services; second, through the Federal Management Emergency Agency; and third, through buying equipment.

Kansas has received 90 percent of its share of personal protective equipment from the national stockpile, she said, and the federal government has said it will not be releasing the remaining 10 percent. The last shipment came in on the night of April 2 and is being distributed to counties based on their census numbers, she said.

Kansas has made seven requests to FEMA for personal protective equipment, she said, and has received nothing so far. The state has requested over 260,000 testing supplies, 9.1 million surgical gowns, 22.3 million gloves 4.6 million N95 masks, 1.2 million face shields, 10.7 million surgical masks and 500 ventilators, she said.

The state also has been trying to buy supplies privately using state general fund money, which the state has been pursuing since the beginning, she said. The state budget included $15 million for purchasing personal protective equipment. Some items have already been purchased. She said that because of the pandemic, several of the state’s orders had been canceled. Other costs have been inflated, such as $1.85 N95 masks now costing more than $4.

The state is now awaiting a shipment of 3.9 million N95 masks, 1.8 million surgical masks, 2 million gloves, 4 million gowns, 2 million shoe covers and 2 million face shields, she said.

“These private purchases are designed to hold Kansas over until new supply chains can deliver or until FEMA sends us our requested supplies,” Gov. Kelly said.

She said the state has reached out to research labs for testing chemicals, autobody shops for N95 masks and tattoo shops for gloves. They also are trying to reach out to Kansas businesses to manufacture what they need, she added.

“I’m grateful for all the businesses that have stepped up at this time of need,” Gov. Kelly said. “Unfortunately, all of this may not be enough to meet the demand we could anticipate coming by the end of the month.”

One major Kansas hospital uses 220,000 gloves a day, even after taking measures to slow the use of protective equipment, such as stopping elective surgeries, she said. Local communities also are using their supply chains to procure personal protective equipment, she added.

“I continue to coordinate with our state and federal partners to fast-track PPE production, procurement and delivery,” Gov. Kelly said. “We are never going to solve this problem if states are continually forced to bid against each other and against the federal government. It is creating widespread confusion among all the state’s suppliers and it is delaying every state’s response effort, including Kansas. It’s also driving up the cost of PPE tremendously for every state.”

She said there are still a few more weeks before the Kansas infection rate is expected to peak.

The governor also said that the state will evaluate what its needs are and then ask for supplemental aid in the fourth phase of the federal relief effort.

She also said that higher education is an area that needs more assistance.

Kansas COVID-19 positive cases increased to 845 on Monday, an increase of 98 cases from Sunday’s total of 747, according to Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. He said the number of positive cases will continue to go up as testing increases.

The KDHE also reported 25 statewide deaths, three more deaths from Sunday’s figures.

There were 198 hospitalizations statewide, KDHE reported, compared to 183 on Sunday.

At 3:40 p.m. the Unified Government COVID-19 website updated its numbers to 190 positive COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County, with 50 patients hospitalized and one more death than Sunday.

Dr. Norman said the University of Washington models have slightly decreased their national projections, reducing expected deaths from 93,500 to 81,700 nationwide. The number of ventilators required are being decreased from 31,700 to 19,000, he said.

The state is in the process of increasing its capacity, with the Army Corps of Engineers looking at alternative care sites, such as dorms, hospitals and nursing homes that have been decommissioned, he said.

Dr. Norman reported that six counties, including Wyandotte, Johnson, Leavenworth, Coffey, McPherson and Sedgwick, have had clusters of cases.

“Three of the 11 clusters are related to church gatherings,” Dr. Norman said.

With the Easter and Passover holidays coming up this week, Dr. Norman asked residents not to gather in numbers that would put them in danger.

According to the Unified Government Health Department’s Facebook page, the three church-related clusters were the Ministers Conference at Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ March 16-22; a gala on March 14 at Rising Star Baptist Church; and the Power Realm Church of God in Christ, all in Wyandotte County. This was before Wyandotte County’s stay-at-home order went into effect March 24.

On Friday, another cluster in Wyandotte County was reported. The Riverbend long-term care and rehabilitation center near 78th and Freeman in Kansas City, Kansas, had 17 residents who tested positive for COVID-19, now including some deaths.

At Lansing Correctional Facility, there are three inmates and five staff members who have tested positive, he said. State health staff are working with the prison, and because the way the facility is designed, he thinks Kansas will be in better shape than some other prisons nationwide.

Dr. Norman said the state lab has about 1,900 test kits in-house now, and is adding two new methods. One is a 45-minute test that started on Friday, he said.

Kansas also will receive 15 Abbott test platforms, he said, that take about 15 minutes.

It is something that can be distributed through the state, he said. They will be “closer to the bedside,” he said.

The state has been testing sick people and will continue to do so, and it also will bring in more tests for the general public, he said. That will be giving them an indication of how widespread the disease is, he said.

“We are improving on staying at home and decreasing our mobility,” he said.

Even though the state improved, it’s still a D grade statewide, he added. Johnson and Wyandotte County have C grades, he added.

“What we’re trying to do is prevent illness and death,” Dr. Norman said.

To view the governor’s news conference, visit
https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/641538899757747/

To view Kansas Department of Health and Environment COVID-19 information, visit
https://public.tableau.com/profile/kdhe.epidemiology#!/vizhome/COVID-19Data_15851817634470/KSCOVID-19CaseData.

The Unified Government’s COVID-19 website is at https://www.wycokck.org/COVID-19.

Information from the Centers for Disease Control is online at
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/.