As CDC recommendations that came out Thursday resulted in some communities dropping mask ordinances on Friday, one discussion topic at a Friday morning news conference was mask-wearing.
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System discussed the new CDC guidance at the news conference Friday. The new guidance allows fully vaccinated people to attend indoor events without masks, along with several other recommendations.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said people need to go out and get vaccinated if they haven’t yet. In health care and travel, people still need to wear their masks and protect themselves, he said.
While the new guidance may make it feel like it’s closer to 2019, there is still a lot of work to do, he added.
“I really believe the rest of this spring and summer is going to be much better than it was last year,” he said.
Dr. David Wild, vice president of performance improvement, said the CDC guidance isn’t a recommendation that masks are not beneficial or are not needed.
“What it is, though, it’s a really transparent example of how the CDC evaluates currently available guidance, literature, evidence to make recommendations that help us understand our risk of transmitting or contracting a disease,” he said.
The CDC responded to two questions on Thursday – do the vaccines work to prevent asymptomatic disease and transmission to others, and how effective are they against the variants, Dr. Wild said. That information led the CDC to say if you are fully vaccinated, your risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death is reduced. They knew that since the trials came out, he said. Now, there is significant benefit in reducing the risk of infection due to variants, and the evidence from Israel and the United States shows the risk of mildly symptomatic and asymptomatic disease is greatly reduced, as well as the risk of transmitting it to others. Now they know the answer to the question of what the full benefit is from vaccination, he said.
Amanda Cackler, director of quality and safety, said it is clear the CDC guidelines don’t apply to health care settings, including hospitals. There are some businesses where mask-wearing is still required.
She added it’s important to pay attention to the signs in businesses. There are communities where masks are still required, she said. There also are individuals who are fully vaccinated who will continue to mask, to protect others in the household.
“I think it’s a big step in the right direction for us to return to normalcy,” Cackler said. “I think it also hopefully promotes some additional vaccinations for folks who want to go into situations where they don’t need a mask and be fully vaccinated.
“But I don’t think it’s going to change our health care setting guidance,” she said.
With more than a billion people vaccinated around the world, there is a large amount of experience with vaccines, and they know it’s safe, Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, said.
COVID-19 has side effects, for acute and long-haul syndrome patients, and both are very serious, he said.
Discussing how they might change their behavior, Dr. Hawkinson said he would be less reluctant to get out to do things like going to Children’s Mercy Park or Kauffman Stadium. He would still be reluctant to go to restaurants indoors, but he would feel safer outdoors.
“I think it’s a good step forward,” he said. “I would still like to understand a majority of those people from 20 to 50 are vaccinated. We know there’s a large hesitancy in that group.”
He said they will probably get there, with smaller steps.
“I want to keep myself healthy, especially prior to my kids getting vaccinated,” he said. “I don’t want to miss work, so we’ll make small steps and be able to do those things.”
Cackler said there wouldn’t be a lot of changes for her immediately. She doesn’t go to a lot of indoor social gatherings. With outdoor activities, she recently went to a Sporting game and felt safe. Everyone was wearing masks in the stands, and it would take some time for her to adjust to not everyone in the stands wearing masks, she added.
Dr. Wild said one of his children will be vaccinated soon, but the other is younger and won’t be vaccinated for a long time. When they go to an outdoor restaurant, would they ask their children to wear a mask when the parents don’t, he asked. That answer might be no, he said. He said he doesn’t really know how it will change things. It will probably be small steps and slow, he said.
In his community, about 44 percent are vaccinated with one dose and 35 percent are fully vaccinated, he said. To him, the study results that were cited Thursday showed that vaccines were very effective, but that these other things such as masking matter. He didn’t know how much of his behavior he was going to change, he added.
Dr. Stites said although the odds are reduced of giving the disease to someone else if you have been vaccinated, there is still a small chance. Those in health care are around people who are more vulnerable, and health care workers may have to look at things a little differently. He has avoided big crowds, he said. He said he’s planning a trip to visit relatives and will wear a mask on the airplane and at the airport, and at the grocery store, also.
“I like not being sick,” he said, adding that he hasn’t had a cold or flu in a year. The mask feels safe to him, he said, and he doesn’t want to take the chance of bringing the disease back to a patient.
While the CDC guidance makes him feel better, it really doesn’t make him feel like things are back to normal – not until they see that 80 percent of the people are vaccinated and the numbers drop down more.
He said he would expect case numbers to go up a little with the loosening of the mask restrictions.
People who are chronically ill, have had a transplant or are immunosuppressed may have a small protection against the disease when they are vaccinated, maybe 50 percent instead of 90 percent, he added. There will still be people who need to wear masks.
The CDC’s real message is that vaccines work and people should go get vaccinated, Dr. Wild said.
In response to a question, Dr. Hawkinson said CDC guidance from a few weeks ago stated that a fully vaccinated household could meet with one unvaccinated household indoors provided that no one is at risk in that household.
Dr. Wild said that even when you have interaction with an unvaccinated person, your risk of getting the disease is low if you have been fully vaccinated.
Cackler said if people are unvaccinated, they should always continue to wear the mask when they are with others or at events.
Dr. Stites said that for the first time, the CDC is saying people are safe to go into big crowds if they have been vaccinated. “We have never said that on this program until now,” he said.
Not everyone agrees it is safe. At the same time, a national survey of epidemiologists found they thought it was a little early to say that, he added.
Dr. Wild noted that CDC officials said on Thursday that it wasn’t a declaration of victory, that the fight against COVID-19 is not done.
UG Commission to discuss mask ordinance at special meeting Monday
On Friday, Kansas City, Missouri, dropped its mask ordinance, and is following the new CDC guidance. Several other surrounding communities also dropped their ordinances.
Wyandotte County has not changed the mask ordinance that it implemented on April 29, less than a month ago. It is still in effect here.
A note on the Unified Government’s social media page Friday stated that Mayor David Alvey will convene the UG Commission to discuss the CDC’s mask recommendations and consider potential changes for Wyandotte County.
The Health Department here “continues to recommend that the Unified Government maintain its existing health order requiring mask-wearing indoors (unless everyone in the room is vaccinated),” according to the UG statement.
According to the UG’s social media post, seven of 10 residents (about 70 percent) in Wyandotte County have not received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
“Our community remains at substantial risk, especially to transmission that occurs indoors when masks are not worn,” the UG stated.
The special UG Commission meeting for an update on health orders, with action to be taken if needed, is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Monday, May 17. It will be a Zoom meeting, with instructions on how to join the meeting online at https://www.wycokck.org/Clerk/Agendas.aspx.
Free vaccinations available Saturday
Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 18 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th (18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.
The Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine will be given on Saturday at the Armory. The Saturday clinics are in partnership with Donnelly College.
The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the new schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The Health Department will be doing more mobile vaccinations, and people may request vaccines to be given at different sites in the community by going to WycoVaccines.org and clicking on “mobile vaccine request.” People also may request a ride to vaccination sites on the same page.
UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.
Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.
Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.
To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.
Other sites available for vaccination
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.
Case numbers reported
KU Health System reported about a drop in the number of COVID-19 patients on Friday. There were 15 patients with the active virus being treated, a decrease of seven since Thursday, according to Dr. Hawkinson. Eleven of the patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of three since Thursday. Three patients were on ventilators, no change from Thursday. There were 11 COVID-19 patients who were out of the acute infection phase, a decrease of one since Thursday. There were a total of 26 patients, a decrease of eight since Thursday. Of the patients no longer hospitalized with COVID-19, two of them died, the first deaths since May 4, according to doctors.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 13 COVID-19 cases on Friday, May 14, for a cumulative 18,633 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change. On May 12, the Health Department reported that 30.45 percent of Wyandotte County residents, or 50,368, had received at least one vaccine dose. Those who completed their vaccinations were 25 percent, or 41,377.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 172,688 cumulative COVID-19 cases.. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 59.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 311,705 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, May 14, an increase of 367 cases since Wednesday, May 12. There were a total cumulative 5,038 deaths reported statewide, an increase of nine.
KDHE reported that Johnson County had 58,499 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Friday, an increase of 98 since Wednesday. Leavenworth County had 7,232 cases on Friday, an increase of two since Wednesday. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) had 56,770 cases on Friday, an increase of 94 since Wednesday.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 32,894,739 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 585,225 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 38,087 new cases nationwide and 802 new deaths nationwide.
States with the highest number of new cases were Florida, 4,064; Pennsylvania, 2,569; Michigan, 2,370; New York, 2,186; and Texas, 2,086.
Countries with the highest number of new cases were India, 343,144; Brazil, 74,592; U.S., 38,087; Argentina, 26,531; and France, 19,461, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Free testing available Saturday
Free COVID-19 testings will be available from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 15, at the Salem Baptist Church, 1824 N. 11th St., Kansas City, Kansas. The testing is in conjunction with Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force. Appointments are not necessary.
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, Kansas City, Kansas. For information about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.
One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 15, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. Their 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 doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/862252840994013.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/292961702392386.
A weekly vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.
Information about the mask ordinance passed April 29, which loosened restrictions in Wyandotte County, is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/updatedwycomaskorder04302021.pdf. The new mask order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/amend-lho-may-6-2021.pdf.
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.