A program through the University of Kansas School of Medicine helps to reach underserved areas in Kansas with COVID-19 information.
The RADx-UP program, part of a $500 million National Institutes of Health sponsored program, helps get COVID-19 testing and vaccine information to minority and underserved populations. The initials of the program stand for Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics – Underserved Populations.
Dr. Edward Ellerbeck, chair of population health at KUMC, said one part of the program involves research on developing different tests, such as how to speed up getting results or developing tests that can be used in the home, in communities or for mass testing. Also, they are working on how to get these tests to communities in need, he said.
While studying and learning, they also are doing pragmatic work to make sure at-risk communities are getting tested, Dr. Ellerbeck said.
He said it is important to get the communities involved, and let the community take the lead in what is needed.
The program works in 10 counties in Kansas, including some with meatpacking plants and immigrant populations that were hard hit, according to Dr. Ellerbeck.
Those counties include four urban, Wyandotte, Johnson, Sedgwick and Douglas, and six rural, Lyon, Crawford, Saline, Riley, Finney and Seward.
They have been working with representatives of the communities in the program, he said.
Dr. Ellerbeck said they’re doing different things in each of the 10 counties, then coming together every other week to discuss best practices and what is working, so the other groups can adopt those things.
As the focus is shifting toward vaccines recently, he said he has found that grass-roots efforts on the ground are really the same for vaccines as for testing procedures.
Messaging, especially in Spanish, was lacking at the beginning of the pandemic, said Marian Ramirez- Mantilia, director of Juntos Center for Advancing Latino Health at KU Medical Center
They have been working with Latino, African American and immigrant communities in Kansas to develop messaging, she said.
They have used some creative ways to dispel myths and get the message out, according to Ramirez-Mantilia.
Information now is more available in multiple languages than when they started, she said, and it is now more up-to-date in different languages.
Last year, there was some hesitancy on the part of workers to get tested because of a lack of time off, and now more people are engaged in the community and are working things out, she said.
“We know that testing is low everywhere and we’re working hard to improve that,” Ramirez-Mantilia said.
They also are working hard with members of the community to dispel myths, she said. For example, they’ve been releasing a series of messages, including one that tries to dispel a false myth that the vaccine has tracking chips.
She said some residents are hearing messages from other countries that are different from the health messages here. For example, one international leader talked about a miraculous cure for COVID-19, while another leader said he no longer needed to wear his mask because he already had COVID-19. Both those messages are contrary to the information that is being released from the CDC.
Some of the population in Kansas has been afraid to share their information because they think it might be shared with immigration officials, she said. The program tries to convince people that their information will be confidential and not shared with immigration officials, she said.
She said community health workers have helped residents overcome their fears, helped people get to tests and vaccines, and have helped people get food and rental assistance.
She said she would like to see clear, statewide messaging that the vaccine is safe and their information will be safe, too, she said.
A strong group of Latinos in Kansas have been working together, sharing information, she said. Having a consistent message throughout the state is important, she added.
Dr. Ellerbeck said the messages can’t just come from the state government, because there is a certain amount of distrust of the government. Scientific information in a language that people can understand is important, he said. The scientific validity also has to be reinforced by members of their community who they trust, he said.
COVID-19 case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported 11 active COVID-19 patients on Thursday morning, an increase of one from Wednesday, according to Dr. Hawkinson. Of the 11 patients, five were in the intensive care unit, an increase of three from Wednesday. One patient was on a ventilator, no change since Wednesday. There were another 15 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized but are out of the acute infection phase, an increase of two since Wednesday. There is a total 26 patients, an increase of three from Wednesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 14 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, April 1, from Wednesday, March 31, for a cumulative 18,084 cases. There was a cumulative total of 286 deaths reported, no change from Wednesday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 164,160 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 61. The number of cumulative deaths was 2,332.
The state of Kansas reported 302,372 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, March 31, an increase of 510 cases since Monday. There were a total cumulative 4,913 deaths reported, an increase of 11 deaths. According to the KDHE, there were a cumulative 56,159 cases in Johnson County, with an increase of 130 cases between Monday and Wednesday. There were a cumulative 54,799 cases in Sedgwick County on Wednesday, an increase of 94 cases between Monday and Wednesday.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 30,538,840 cases in the United States, with 553,120 total deaths reported nationwide.
Vaccinations available Friday
Free vaccinations will be available between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 2, at the three Health Department vaccination sites in Wyandotte County. Although the Unified Government’s offices will be closed, the vaccination sites will be open Friday, according to a spokesman. They are accepting walk-in appointments from Wyandotte County residents over age 16.
The Unified Government Health Department has launched a new self-scheduling tool for COVID-19 vaccinations, and people are now able to schedule their own vaccinations at their own convenience online.
The self-scheduling tool is at https://vaccines.wycokck.org/, or people may call 3-1-1 to make an appointment. More information is at https://wyandotteonline.com/ug-health-department-launches-new-self-scheduling-tool-for-covid-19-vaccinations/.
Residents 16 and older may either walk in to get a free vaccine or may schedule an appointment. There are three Unified Government Health Department vaccination clinics.
The vaccination sites are open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave., the former Best Buy store at 10500 Parallel Parkway and the Kansas National Guard Armory at 100 S. 20th (near 18th and Ridge).
Those Wyandotte County residents in Phases 1 to 4 also may walk in to a Health Department vaccination site, or may sign up for a vaccination at WycoVaccines.org or call 3-1-1.
Those who walk in to get vaccines should bring an ID and something showing their Wyandotte County address, such as mail. For more information about vaccines at the UG Health Department, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-vaccines-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.
There are also pharmacies giving COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacy at 76th and State Avenue, and 81st and State Avenue (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/), and Medicine Shoppe pharmacy at 65th and Parallel by appointment when available (see https://www.facebook.com/The-Medicine-Shoppe-Kansas-City-281548241870522). CVS pharmacy also has announced that it will offer COVID-19 vaccines at one of its stores in Kansas City, Kansas. Registration is at CVS.com.
COVID-19 tests scheduled
Unified Government Health Department COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites are scheduled to be open on Friday, April 2. For more information, 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.
The Health Department is offering saliva COVID-19 tests to the public. Tests from the Health Department are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.
The tests 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.
COVID-19 testing also is available at 8 a.m. Friday at Lowe’s, 6920 State Ave., by appointment. The tests are listed on the Go Get Tested site
at www.gogettested.com/Kansas. The WellHealth tests need appointments, which can be made at the website.
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.
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 doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/1420407758292181.
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=.
Wyandotte County has a local mask and social distancing ordinance approved by the UG Commission. 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.
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.