COVID-19 cases were increasing in the hospitalization totals reported Monday morning at the University of Kansas Health System, while the rate was decreasing in Wyandotte County Monday.
The KU Health System saw lower hospitalization rates last week, but on Monday morning, it reported 70 active COVID-19 cases in the hospital, an increase from 56 last Wednesday.
According to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, of the 70 active inpatients, there were 28 in the intensive care unit, an increase of one, and 15 of the ICU patients were on ventilators, a decrease of five.
There were an additional 56 patients in the recovery phase, but still in the hospital, a decrease of 15 since Wednesday. The total number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital was 126, a decrease of one since Wednesday.
According to Dr. Hawkinson, there might be a surge of patients now coming to the hospital who were infected between Thanksgiving and Christmas. One patient he saw was infected from a Christmas gathering, he said.
Dr. Hawkinson said it isn’t correct to think that those who have had COVID-19 are now immune and don’t have to wear a mask. He said while there may be a window, thought to be 60 to 90 days, where you can’t be reinfected, you could become infected again after that. Also people could infect others during that time, which is why they should keep wearing a mask, even after vaccination, he said.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, said that skipping the COVID-19 vaccine would be like telling COVID-19, “Go ahead, step ahead of me.” It puts yourself and your loved ones at risk, according to Dr. Stites. He emphasized the need to keep social distancing, wearing a mask and avoiding gatherings.
Dr. Stites also received his COVID-19 vaccine during the news conference.
At the Monday doctors’ news conference, Dr. Kevin Ault discussed vaccine recommendations for expecting mothers, and Dr. Angela Myers discussed COVID-19 and the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.
The doctors believe it is safe for expecting mothers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Ault believes it is safe for women to conceive during this time, and recommended that women ask their doctors’s advice.
Dr. Myers said there has been an increase in multisystem inflammatory syndrome among children. According to Dr. Myers, younger children are not as likely to transmit the disease, compared with older children.
Also, school-age children who did contract the virus are not getting it in the classroom, she said. Instead, they are getting infected at private gatherings, parties and play dates, according to the doctor.
To see more of this discussion, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/446990386314517.
Case numbers reported
COVID-19 cases were not going up as fast as they did last week in Wyandotte County and the state, in the Monday reports.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 21 COVID-19 cases on Monday, Jan. 4, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative 14,947 cases. There were no additional deaths reported Monday, for a cumulative total of 198.
The Mid-America Regional Council Kansas City Region COVID-19 hub on Monday reported 125,498 total cumulative cases, with, 1,182 total cumulative deaths in the nine-county Kansas City region. The average number of new hospitalizations was 158.
The state of Kansas reported 231,317 total cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday, an increase of 3,572 statewide since Friday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were 2,897 deaths, an increase of 18 since Friday.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Sunday reported 20,817,188 total cumulative cases in the United States, with 353,484 total deaths.
Free COVID-19 testing available Tuesday
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open on Tuesday, Jan. 5, with testing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. The tests are nasopharyngeal swab tests. The Health Department no longer uses saliva tests.
The tests now are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
More COVID-19 tests will be available Tuesday at the Pierson Community Center, 1800 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas. These tests are through WellHealth Management. For more information and to schedule a test, visit www.GoGetTested.com/Kansas.
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.
For more information about the testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.
The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/446990386314517.
To see information about the UG giving vaccines to health care workers, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/ug-to-start-giving-covid-19-vaccines-to-health-department-and-ems-personnel-next-week/.
The KDHE vaccine report is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1708/COVID-19-Vaccine-Updates–123020-FINAL-PDF?bidId=.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
Wyandotte County is under a mandatory mask and social distancing order. Also, the Wyandotte County health order with a limit of 10 persons to a gathering, and a closing time of 10 p.m. for restaurants and bars, with other new restrictions, is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/11162020localhealthorderexecuted.pdf.
The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
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.