Category: Health

Number of COVID-19 cases in Kansas increases to 168

A map on the UG website showed more COVID-19 positive cases in the northwest and north central part of Wyanodtte County. According to information on the map, the Zip Codes in blue each had less than 5 cases, and so numbers for them were not reported. (UG COVID-19 website)
A graph showed the number of cases rising in Wyandotte County. (UG COVID-19 website)

Wyandotte County cases rise to 34

The number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Kansas increased from 126 on March 25 to 168 on March 26, according to a report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Positive cases in Wyandotte County increased from 27 on Wednesday to 34 on Thursday, according to the 11 a.m. KDHE report. Nineteen Wyandotte County patients were hospitalized, according to the UG website. Most patients have recovered; there were two deaths associated with COVID-19 in Wyandotte County.

The UG’s COVID-19 website reported cases by Zip Code, with 8 cases in 66109, 6 cases in 66112 and 9 cases in 66104. The other Zip Code areas of Wyandotte County had less than 5 per area, and so numbers were not reported.

Johnson County’s total of positive COVID-19 cases went from 44 on Wednesday to 59 on Thursday, the report stated.

In Sedgwick County, the Wichita area, the total was 11 on Wednesday and 16 on Thursday, according to the report.

Leavenworth County now is at 12 total cases, and it was 11 on Wednesday. Douglas County, including the Lawrence area, went from 10 cases on Wednesday to 13 on Thursday.

According to state statistics, 90 of the positive cases were males and 78 were females. Patients were 7 to 90 years old, with the median age at 54. Around 4.5 percent of those persons who were tested, and all of them were ill, were positive for COVID-19, officials said on Wednesday.

“We are on the curve and how big that curve grows is entirely in the public’s hands,” Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said during a teleconference on Thursday.

“There is no question that shelter at home works,” Dr. Stites said.

He cited New Rochelle, N.Y., which had 108 cases around March 12, started shutting down the city, and was at 200 cases two days ago. The prediction is this disease is doubling every two or three days, and they might have been at 1,000 if they hadn’t sheltered at home.

“We can do this, we can bend the curve,” he said. “We don’t want to be New York City, we want to be KC.”

He said he noticed 10-15 people gathered at a park last night, and wanted to tell them to stay home. Don’t go out in groups unless absolutely necessary, he said.

KU Hospital had 16 patients who were positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, he said, with eight or nine on mechanical ventilation.

“The numbers are increasing. We are on the front edge of the surge,” Dr. Stites said.

“In order to be successful and to beat COVID, which we can do, the most important player in this game is you,” he said. “It’s the people who are listening or reading and making the decision, do I stay at home. If you choose yes, we will bend that curve, and if you choose no, we will struggle. So the choice is what we do and what we make every day.”

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the KU Health System, said he also saw a group of people last night, with the police trying to get a group dispersed and go back to their homes.

“People who continue to congregate and fail to stay home or maintain six feet apart are being irresponsible,” Dr. Hawkinson said.

In Wyandotte County, it is permissible under the “stay-home” ordinance to go to the parks and exercise, run or walk, keeping about six feet apart. Groups of 10 or more are prohibited.

“It was the police who were out there trying to get those people dispersed and back to their homes,” Dr. Hawkinson said. “It’s good to be out, but we don’t want the mass gatherings, because that’s how this virus is spread. We need to protect our first responders, including our police officers, because they’re the ones that do protect us. If we can stop the spread overall, we can stop the spread to our first responders, and that is the main goal of why we are trying to decrease the social gathering, to stay at home and stop the spread of this virus right now.”

Dr. Chad Cannon, Emergency Department chair at KU Health System, said he wanted to thank people for not coming in unnecessarily to the Emergency Department at KU Hospital. They continue to take care of the people having heart attacks, accidents and strokes, he said.

“We want to continue to have the capacity and the people to continue to take care of those folks, and we need to keep folks who are just concerned, but don’t have symptoms, out of the health care environment and home,” he said.

Those who have the COVID-19 serious symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, should call their health care providers first, he said.

Dr. Cannon said people should call their physician if they have shortness of breath, also if they have chest pain. If they are weak and fatigued and feel they are going to pass out, if they have altered mental state or confusion and slurred speech, they should consider the Emergency Department, he said. If they have a runny nose or cough without more severe symptoms, it doesn’t mean they don’t have coronavirus, but they should isolate themselves, call their physician and get further advice, before going anywhere, he said.

“We’re ready for this if the surge does come, and hopeful that if you heed this good advice, that the surge will be manageable and that we can flatten the curve,” he said.

Besides staying at home, doctors have stressed good hygiene practices, washing hands, covering a cough and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

Dr. Stites also said he was hearing reports that health care workers at a large hospital in Wuhan, China, who had adequate personal protective equipment were staying healthy. COVID-19 spread to health care workers before they put in the protective equipment requirements, but afterward, they did not have a single case in the past six weeks, he said. The personal protective equipment requirements were the same used at KU Health System, he said.

Health care workers can still get COVID-19 in community spread, he said, but he doesn’t think they are getting the virus at the hospital.

At this time, KU Health System has adequate personal protective equipment, but they don’t know if it will be adequate in the next week or 10 days.

Some areas, such as New York, are short on protective equipment. Kansas City doesn’t want to go in that direction, Dr. Stites said.

To view the KU Health System news conference video, with more detailed information, visit https://www.medicalnewsnetwork.org/NewsNetwork/DocTalk/C/Coronavirus%20Media%20Conference%20Call%20March%2026%202020

The Kansas COVID-19 website is at
 https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.


The UG’s COVID-19 response website is at
 https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.


COVID-19 information from the CDC is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

A KDHE map showed the location of COVID-19 cases in Kansas. (KDHE map)
A KDHE graph showed COVID-19 cases, with total cases in blue and new cases in green. (KDHE graph)
The KDHE on March 26 listed the total number of COVID-19 cases by county. (KDHE chart)

Kansas, KCK area seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases

A map and graph showed the increase in COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday. (KDHE map and graph)

Kansas jumped to 126 positive COVID-19 cases on Wednesday morning, up 28 from yesterday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Wyandotte County reported 27 total positive cases at 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to KDHE statistics. It was three more than the 24 cases that were reported as of 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Johnson County’s total was 44 positive cases at 11 a.m. Wednesday, KDHE reported. Johnson County had 36 cases on Tuesday morning, March 24.

Leavenworth and Sedgwick counties had 11 cases each on Wednesday, while Douglas County reported a total of 10 cases.

Some of the positive cases reported earlier have recovered.

Wyandotte County reported its second death in a COVID-19 patient on Tuesday night. The state now has three deaths associated with COVID-19. A “stay-home” order went into effect earlier Tuesday in Wyandotte County and surrounding counties, and will be in effect through April 23 here.

Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said today the rate of growth in Kansas isn’t nearly as high as New York and Washington, but is in keeping with many other places in the United States.

Dr. Norman at a news conference today said the expectation for the state of Kansas and everywhere else is that the number of positive cases will double about every three or four days. Kansas could have 300 to 400 positive cases by March 31, perhaps closer to 400, he said.

“Our goal is to stay home, top the number out and level it off, drop it down,” he said.

Many of the persons testing positive now for the coronavirus may have been infected two to 14 days ago.

Dr. Norman did not expect to see immediate results from the shelter in place order or from voluntary stay-home efforts because some people are looking at the order, trying to see what the exceptions are and how to wiggle around them, he said.

“That is exactly the wrong approach,” Dr. Norman said. He asked people to stay at home whether or not an order with exceptions is in place, or whether it is voluntary.

“We’re grownups, so you have the ability to make a decision, the ability to do this,” he said.

It’s not a game of avoiding staying at home through the exceptions, he said.

“If you must go out for essential tasks, observe those social distancing rules,” he said. The rules are proven to work, he said.

About 4.5 percent of all tests run in Kansas have had positive results, he said. Those tests have been run on ill people, in general, he added.

The KDHE has not had enough test materials all along the way, and has had to use fever as a criteria of testing in hospitals, he said. When more tests become available, he would like to expand testing, and do studies of COVID-19 incidence in the population.

Currently, private labs are doing commercial testing in Kansas, along with the state, and physicians are able to order private testing from commercial labs if the patient does not meet hospital criteria, according to Dr. Norman.

The KDHE still must keep watch over its tests, he said, as supplies have been short. It has set priorities on testing, with health care workers and first responders a priority; along with potential clusters with unknown respiratory illness; hospital patients with no alternative diagnosis who have been through other tests; and those over 60 with symptoms who live in nursing homes, long-term care homes, congregate settings and adult day cares.

The state lab has been going through about 150 to 200 samples a day, he said.

It also has about 25 pages of requests from counties and health care organizations for personal protective equipment that is needed. That might include masks, gowns and gloves.

On Tuesday, Kansas received two semi-trucks of supplies from FEMA, he said, that will help the situation.

While Kansas has a lower population than other states, with fewer cases, Dr. Norman argued it should have the same right of personal protection equipment per capita as larger populations.

He said they are working with providers and federal agencies to acquire ultraviolet light sterilization devices so masks and equipment can be reused up to five times. Currently, ultraviolet light is used to sterilize rooms after patients are discharged. The masks might be able to be reused five to six times before discarding if the sterilization devices are acquired and approved, he said. The masks would only be used for the same patient, not for multiple patients, he added.

Dr. Norman said at this time, there is no reason to suspect ibuprofen or nonsteroidal medications would worsen COVID-19, as has been discussed in Europe.

The state has a task force currently working on planning for bed space, ICU beds and ventilators, he said.

He also said some faster tests are being developed that may take as little as 45 minutes to get results, which is important to health care. Hospitals are beginning to develop their own capacity to do testing, he added.

Dr. Norman said he would like to develop satellite locations, especially in high population areas, where test samples can be drawn, and at some point to do a study. That would help determine if persons who are asymptomatic are infected and spreading the coronavirus. In turn, that would help health care officials know when everyone can return to normalcy, he said.

Dr. Norman said people need to take staying at home seriously.

“Adults should not require declarations in place,” he said. They should follow doctors’ advice.

When asked if it was likely that things would get back to normal by Easter, as President Trump has stated, Dr. Norman said, “I think that’s unlikely.”

While people are allowed to go out under the emergency stay-home order for necessities such as groceries, local health officials have asked sick people to stay home. Those who need medical care may call their primary health care provider and wait for a call back with instructions for their next step.

Doctors urge residents to stay home

Doctors from the University of Kansas Health System said today, in a different teleconference, that they are beginning to see an increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the Kansas City area.

There are more positive patients at the hospital, according to Dr. Steven Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System. The system includes KU Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas.

“We’re starting to feel the surge and working really hard to make sure we have enough supplies and equipment, knowing if that surge continues as we expect, it’s going to be a challenge,” he said during a news conference Wednesday morning.

What will help is for people to stay home and stay safe, he said. Fewer people will get sick, and hospitals will have enough supplies and equipment if people stay home, he believes.

Because Kansas City has less density than New York or the West Coast cities, and because Midwesterners tend to be socially conscious and will work hard to follow the advice of doctors and health officials, he said he hopes the measures taken will work.

While health professionals are appreciative of the efforts of those who want to help by making masks at home, the doctors at KU said they probably couldn’t use the fabric masks unless they were made at a biologic grade with specific material. The homemade masks possibly could be worn by ill patients at home, one doctor said.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical direction of infection prevention and control at the KU Health System, was appreciative, but said that fabric masks tend to get wet or moist from coughing or water vapor, and then they might act like a sponge, drawing in whatever is in the air. Wearing one of the masks could give someone a false sense of security, he added.

“If you want to know how to help, it is to stay home,” Dr. Stites said.

The doctors said there wasn’t much knowledge available about COVID-19, and advised residents to be careful about claims they are hearing about products that could make them feel better.

What really works best is to get enough sleep, eat right, don’t drink too much alcohol because it might depress the immune system, stay hydrated and stay home, Dr. Stites said.

Ashleigh Adams, RN, a nurse on the front lines at the hospital, said nursing at the bedside has changed quite a bit with an increase in positive COVID-19 patients. Some of the units at KU Hospital have been converted to care for COVID-19 patients.

At the bedside, it’s very different with COVID-19 patients, Adams said.

The positive patients are very tired with general malaise, and are scared, she said. The nurses are trying to reassure them, comfort them and provide for their needs, she said.

“They’re already away from home, and it’s hard,” she said. “And now they can’t have visitors, for understandable reasons, it makes it hard.”

The nurses are encouraging phone calls, and have seen increases in calls from families, she added.

Dr. Stites said none of the nurses in these units had previous experience in caring for COVID-19 patients, and have stepped up to take on the cases. “Hats off to them,” he said.

“To see people pull together like that is a remarkable story,” he said.

“If people will help them by staying home and staying safe, then we will not put our teams at risk,” he said. “You ask what you can do, that’s what you can do.”

To view the KDHE news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/KDHEnews/.

To view the KU Health System news conference, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6fgr2UsyrI.

The Kansas COVID-19 website is at
https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.

The UG’s COVID-19 response website is at
https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

COVID-19 information from the CDC is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.


NFM showrooms to close temporarily Friday evening

Driveway delivery, online and phone sales, and drive-through pick up still available

Nebraska Furniture Mart announced Tuesday that the company will temporarily close showrooms at each of its four locations, including the Kansas City, Kansas, store, at 7 p.m. Friday, March 27.

The move was made because of continued public health concerns surrounding the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, according to a company statement.

There is not yet a timeline for re-opening – NFM is in the same boat as other businesses; they will continue to monitor the latest information and make adjustments as appropriate, according to a spokesman.

The NFM store in Omaha, Nebraska, closed once before in 1975, after a tornado destroyed parts of the city. Rose Blumkin, NFM founder, ensured the store would open a year later, citing the need to serve the community.


“Nothing is more important to us than being there for our friends and neighbors,” NFM CEO Irv Blumkin said in the statement. “In our 83-year history, we’ve made it a point to see our friends and family through trying times. We have taken the steps necessary to rise to this challenge and make sure people still have access to essential items they need to make this difficult period less stressful.”

In recent weeks, the company has proactively minimized the risk of exposure while serving customers and donating essential items to first responders in several markets, the spokesman stated.

Stores have operated with reduced hours since March 23. Employees who are able to work from home have been encouraged to do so, according to the spokesman. NFM has also encouraged customers to shop online and take advantage of contact-free drive-through pickup and driveway delivery options, which will continue to be available during the closing of showrooms.

“Like everyone around the world, our team has monitored this situation very closely as it has developed over the past few weeks,” NFM President Tony Boldt said. “We have been in communication with our local public health departments and followed their recommendations on how to best serve our community’s needs while prioritizing the health and safety of our staff and customers.”

While the showrooms are closed, customers can still shop online at nfm.com or over the phone by calling 800-336-9136, ext. 22421. Warehouse and delivery staff are being coached on best practices as recommended by local health officials as well as the CDC and the WHO. NFM created a Pandemic Emergency Pay Plan for eligible NFM staff members making compensation available while work is interrupted during the COVID-19 crisis, according to the spokesman. Currently, there is no target date for reopening showroom floors.

“This situation evolves every day, sometimes by the hour and we will continue to monitor developments,” Boldt said. “We will continue to adjust our response as necessary. The health and safety of our staff, our customers and our community will always be our number one priority. We’re happy to serve our customers online, but we look forward to opening our doors again and offering the personalized service NFM is known for.”

Nebraska Furniture Mart was founded by Rose Blumkin in 1937 in the basement of her husband’s pawn shop in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1983, investor Warren Buffett purchased a majority interest in NFM and made it part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. Today, NFM is one of the nation’s largest home furnishings retailer, selling furniture, flooring, appliances and electronics. NFM currently has locations in Omaha, Des Moines, Iowa, Kansas City, Kansas and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. For more information on Nebraska Furniture Mart, visit www.nfm.com.