As groups of 15 or fewer are allowed to meet starting Friday under the governor’s Phase 2 reopening plan, residents may be deciding whether to have or attend a holiday barbecue, gathering or outing.
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System discussed holiday gatherings in a news conference this morning.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said he personally won’t be having the same sort of gathering he always has on Memorial Day weekend. Social gatherings can turn into super-spreader events if social distancing doesn’t take place, according to Dr. Stites.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the KU Health System, said some of the biggest risk factors are the number of people present in a confined space over a long period of time. He recommended outdoor events with social distancing and better airflow. No more than 10 should gather. He said he hoped people didn’t gather with others outside their household.
Dr. Stites said he isn’t planning the same kind of big holiday gathering as in the past. He said there will be a lot more Memorial Days, and he wants to have good memories going forward.
The state’s COVID-19 website has advice on Memorial Day get-togethers, and it calls for no buffet lines, and meals served on disposable plates by a person wearing a mask and gloves. The webpage is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Safe-Memorial-Day-Guidance-5.19_Final.pdf.
The KU doctors, including Dr. Gary Gronseth, chair of neurology, and Dr. Colleen Lechtenberg, neurologist, also discussed strokes that are occurring more with COVID-19, as more blood clots are forming as part of the disease.
They advised patients not to wait to seek emergency health care if they have stroke symptoms, including a facial droop, an arm that sags, slurred speech, loss of balance and eyesight changes. Those who can get to the hospital early have more of a chance of recovery, according to the doctors. Hospitals are safe, the doctors said.
The doctors advised residents to continue social distancing, washing hands and avoiding large groups. Those who are sick and at high-risk should stay home.
Dr. Hawkinson reported 15 patients in KU Health System on Thursday, with seven in the intensive care unit and four on ventilators.
On Thursday, the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage reported 1,211 cases and 71 deaths on Thursday morning, compared to 1,177 cases and 70 deaths on Wednesday. There were 34 more cases and one more death. There were an additional 19 recoveries on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the state of Kansas reported 8,539 positive cases from 84 counties, with 178 deaths. Ford County, the Dodge City, Kansas, area, reported the highest number of cases, with 1,440, while Finney County, the Garden City, Kansas, area, had 1,307. Leavenworth County reported 1,057 cases on Wednesday, according to the state figures, while Johnson County had 696 cases.
To view the doctors’ news conference, with more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/3197612143625012/.
Wyandotte County will be under the state’s Phase 2 plan starting Friday at covid.ks.gov.
The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.
The state has an information page about what activities are safe on Memorial Day weekend, at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Safe-Memorial-Day-Guidance-5.19_Final.pdf.
Additional guidelines from the governor’s office about Phase 2 are at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/AdAstraUpdate519.pdf.
The UG’s COVID-19 information page is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.