A slight increase has been reported in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to doctors at the University of Kansas Health System.
The KU Health System reported 15 active COVID-19 patients on Tuesday morning, with seven in the recovery phase, for a total of 22 COVID-19 patients, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control.
Other hospitals in the Greater Kansas City area also are reporting an uptick in the number of COVID-19 patients, the doctors said during the morning media update. While it is nowhere near the numbers in the hundreds last winter, it is still cautionary, according to the doctors.
Dr. Hawkinson said only one of the patients at KU Health System was fully vaccinated, and that person was severely immunosuppressed. The virus had infected the patient for several months before the vaccination.
Three of the 15 patients were only partially vaccinated, with one receiving a vaccine only about a week or less before the initial symptoms. Another patient, who is intubated, did not receive a vaccination, he said.
He encouraged people to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of being hospitalized.
A recent study showed that more than 25 percent of 2 million people who had COVID-19 had long-haul symptoms. About 19 percent of them had mild or asymptomatic cases, according to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System.
The evidence is mounting that the long-haul syndrome is real, he said, and there is a need for vaccination.
Dr. Mario Castro, vice chair of clinical and translational research at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said 20 to 30 percent of those who have been infected by COVID-19 is a large group, about 6 to 7 million people in the United States.
The new Novavax vaccine is 90 to 100 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe infection from COVID, he said. People who are vaccine hesitant need to be encouraged to get a vaccine.
“This is not only going to impact us today, but it’s also going to impact us in the long haul, as we think about the years this will take from recovery from this,” Dr. Castro said.
He discussed the trials underway at the medical center for monoclonal antibody therapies, including one pill, which can be given to those who are within the first several days of the COVID-19 disease.
He also discussed a new trial for asthma sufferers. Those interested in joining the trial may call Shelby Almo at 913-574-3006, for more information.
Free walk-in vaccinations available
The former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave. will be open for free walk-in vaccinations for everyone 12 and older from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16. The vaccines are through the Unified Government Health Department.
Childhood vaccinations will be available from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. For more details, see https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-vaccines-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.
Free vaccines also are available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, formerly Children’s Mercy West, 4313 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
People may also schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org. Residents may request rides to the vaccination clinic through a form on the same website.
The Unified Government Health Department vaccination hours changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Those who receive COVID-19 vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.
The Health Department is doing more mobile COVID-19 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.
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 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
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, reported the COVID-19 case numbers at the University of Kansas Health System were higher Tuesday morning. Fifteen active COVID-19 patients were being treated at the hospital, an increase of four. Two patients were in the intensive care unit, no change. One was on a ventilator, a decrease of one. Seven other patients were still in the hospital, in the recovery phase, an increase of two. There were 22 total COVID-19 patients, an increase of six.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 17 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, June 15, since Monday, for a cumulative 18,940 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 299 deaths reported, no change.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 175,605 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Tuesday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 48.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 316,014 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Monday, June 14, an increase of 245 cases since Friday. There were a total of 5,125 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 19.
On Monday, June 14, the KDHE reported 59,450 cumulative cases in Johnson County, an increase of 39 cases since Friday. Leavenworth County had 7,290 cumulative cases, an increase of four since Friday. Sedgwick County had 57,633 cases, an increase of 83 cases since Friday, according to KDHE.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday night reported 33,485,859 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 600,271 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 12,710 new cases nationwide and 170 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were California, 1,366; North Carolina, 1,228; Texas, 978; Washington, 556; and Louisiana, 554.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were India, 60,471; Brazil, 39,846; Colombia, 24,376; Argentina, 21,292; and U.S., 12,710, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Free testing available
Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, formerly Children’s Mercy West, 4313 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, at the former Kmart store, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, at the Health Department’s central location.
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 KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/760356101297829.
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.