With a surge in COVID-19 cases in parts of Missouri and Kansas, doctors at the University of Kansas Health System on Wednesday described how it affected the hospital and also talked about what individuals should do.
One question was whether it was OK to go to Branson, Missouri, on vacation. COVID-19 variant cases have increased in the region, filling hospitals.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said it was a matter of risk tolerance.
He said people need to understand their activities, for example, outdoor events are safer than indoor. Try to distance as much as possible and wear a mask, also. People should understand the situation they will be in, and get vaccinated if they are not vaccinated, he said.
As the hospitals in the Springfield, Missouri, area are at capacity, the KU Health System here has been taking some non-COVID patients, according to Dr. Hawkinson. The health system regularly takes transferred patients from other regions to give them specialized care.
They are happy to take patients from areas where there are capacity issues, and they are prepared for increases. The KU Health System has good personal protective equipment and supplies currently, according to Dr. Hawkinson.
As obesity is a risk factor for COVID-19, another topic on Wednesday morning was about a healthier lifestyle.
“Overweight or obesity is a major problem,” Dr. Hawkinson said.. “All the way down to the molecular or cellular level affecting your immune cells in your body, such as your vascular system, your heart, your organs – it does affect your everyday life and other issues, not just COVID.”
Bryan Mann, a pastor at the Bethel Seventh Day Adventist Church in Kansas City, Kansas, and also a chaplain, described how he had been diagnosed with cancer and had lost 80 pounds before the pandemic. Then after the pandemic hit, he gained some of the weight back.
Mann eliminated a lot of processed foods and ate more fruits and vegetables. He also walked more.
His advice on how to start was, “Just start.” It was difficult at the beginning, he said. Both watching the foods he eats and exercise are important, he said.
It takes self-control, and God has helped him in that, he said. “I’m back on track,” he added.
Tara Marchello, dietitian, said people can start small. Have a piece of fruit between lunch and dinner, eliminate sugary beverages and fast food, watch out for highly processed foods, junk food and treats.
She said small goals are good. For example, walk 10 minutes at first, then work up to walking 10 minutes twice. “Being average is all right,” she said.
Free COVID-19 vaccines available
The Unified Government Health Department’s central vaccine location at the former Kmart store, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, will be open to those age 12 and older from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 8. Walk-ins will be accepted. For more information, see WycoVaccines.org.
Hours the week of July 5:
• Kmart site (7836 State Ave, Kansas City, Kansas)
o Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – vaccine and testing incentives available.
• Closed: Armory site (100 S. 20th St, Kansas City, Kansas
Mobile vaccines can still be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311).
Other sites available for vaccinations
Vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov. The website also tells whether vaccines are in stock at the locations.
Case numbers reported
There were 18 active COVID-19 patients on Wednesday morning at the University of Kansas Health System, a decrease of four from Tuesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Six patients were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of one from Tuesday. No patients were on ventilators.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 11 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, July 7, since Tuesday, for a cumulative 19,196 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 300 deaths reported, an increase of one.
On Wednesday, July 7, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 36.9 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled 32.03 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 45.4 percent.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 178,307 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 66.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 319,586 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, July 7, an increase of 1,071 since July 2. There was a total of 5,166 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of seven since July 2.
The KDHE reported 60,246 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on July 7, an increase of 270 since July 2. Leavenworth County had 7,375 cases, an increase of 27 since July 2. Sedgwick County reported 58,195 cases, an increase of 103 since July 2.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday night reported 33,770,444 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 606,218 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 23,839 new cases nationwide and 338 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were California, 2,797; Louisiana, 2,017; North Carolina, 1,488; Georgia, 1,367; and Nevada, 1,346.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were Brazil, 62,504; India, 43,733; Indonesia, 31,189; United Kingdom, 28,629; and U.S., 23,839, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Free testing available
Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 8, at the UG Health Departments central location, the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
Besides Health Department sites, free COVID-19 testing is available at several locations in Wyandotte County.
Visit gogettested.com/Kansas and https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19 for more sites.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19, https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.
The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. The department’s 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 University of Kansas Health System morning media update is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/502951464270437.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/330310795391910.
A vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.
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.
