UG to test unvaccinated employees

The Unified Government announced Wednesday night that it would test those employees who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 tests would be conducted weekly, according to the announcement from Doug Bach, UG administrator.

“Routine testing is an additional step to protect our employees, their families and the public,” Bach said in a news release.

The action was taken because of the rapid acceleration of Delta cases in the community, and the insufficient vaccination rates in the county, according to a spokesman.

The UG also announced it will reinstitute special COVID-19 sick leave that will be available to fully vaccinated employees.

The leave will be available to fully vaccinated employees who test positive for COVID-19 or who, after exposure to an individual with COVID-19, develop symptoms and are required to quarantine, according to a spokesman.

The leave also will be available to fully vaccinated employees who must care for an immediate family member who is fully vaccinated or is not vaccine eligible, such as a child under 12, and who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been exposed to an individual with COVID-19 and is required to quarantine, according to the spokesman.

The testing will start Sept. 6 for UG employees who have not been fully vaccinated. Routine testing will help reduce the spread of COVID-19, particularly among unvaccinated persons who are most at risk for severe illness, according to the spokesman.

“The Unified Government provides critical services for the community, and we must ensure that we have a workforce that is capable of providing the services upon which the public depends,” Bach said.

In addition, the Unified Government health plan is self-funded, which means that all costs, including for COVID-19-related treatment, are borne by the plan and its members (employees and their families). As of the beginning of August, the health plan had paid more than $1,000,000 for COVID-19-related treatments, according to the spokesman. Vaccination, masking and routine testing are the best options for protecting health and reducing health plan expenses.

Non-fully vaccinated employees who fail or refuse to participate in testing will not be allowed to work or to use vacation, sick or other leave, according to the spokesman. Tests will be provided at no charge.

Fully vaccinated employees will not be required to participate in routine testing but will have the option to test if they choose.

Neighboring jurisdictions in Johnson County, Jackson County, and Kansas City, Missouri, have announced similar testing plans for their employees.

Health professionals under increasing stress with hospitals full

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said at the Wednesday morning program that the low rate of vaccination, plus the lack of masking and social distancing “have brought so much of this country to its knees.”

He described the current surge as two different pandemics. Those who are vaccinated have one set of risks while those who are unvaccinated and most vulnerable have a different set of risks.

Dr. Stites said they’ll know in two to four weeks the impact schools opening will have on the pandemic. He said that will be just the beginning of the impact, not the end, because it can take a while for the virus to ripple through the school system, especially among unvaccinated kids.

He said relatives and friends have noticed his increasingly serious tone on the program and he said it’s frustrating because “we’re all tired of COVID. But you’ve got to look in our nursing staff’s eyes, especially on the COVID units, and you’re going to see much more than you’re tired of COVID. You’re going to see a little bit of anger, a little bit of despair, and just a whole lot of, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening now?’ And that’s because, as a nation, we have failed to address this crisis in the way we should, and it is costing people their lives.”

Dr. Stites said the front lines in the Emergency Department are “getting pummeled and stretched pretty thin.”

Casey Pickering, intensive care unit nurse manager at KU Health System, described what happens as the hospital becomes more crowded with patients. Sometimes patients have to wait on gurneys in hallways, waiting for a bed.

The impact on the ICU staff is huge, with people burning out at different rates, she said.

“People thought there was a glimmer of hope with the vaccine, a light at the end of the tunnel. Turns out that light was a train,” she said.

Pickering noted they’re just being pushed to the point where they thought the end was in sight and now it is not in sight, and for many it’s too much and they can’t do it anymore. The ICU work family is getting smaller because of those leaving.

“Part of our hope for the vaccine was also our hope in humanity,” Pickering said. “We thought the world was behind all of us like they were at the beginning and everybody’s going to do this and we’re going to get through it. Now it feels like so many people are almost against us, that it’s hard to continue to bring your heart to this work every day. When it feels like the odds are just stacked against us and it doesn’t feel like there’s an end in sight, it’s hard. We’re struggling with the moral injury that feels like so many in the general public are not willing to do their part to help us all survive, literally and figuratively, at all costs.”

Dr. Chris Brown, a hospitalist, said everyone was stressed by the surge. He notes the biggest difference from the last surge is the younger unvaccinated patients.

“There’s a lot of misinformation that is guiding, I think, some good people,” he said. He finds himself having to keep his own personal feelings out of conversations with those who don’t believe in masks and vaccinations and stick to the science.

Dr. Brown said the Delta variant is much more transmissible in a shorter period of time and it’s frustrating because masks and vaccinations make ICU stays completely avoidable. He said one thing they’ve learned in the last 18 months is that COVID loves dissention and divisiveness.

He said people have to realize if a patient decides they have the freedom to skip their medications, it has consequences, but just for that patient. Those who think they have the freedom to skip masking and vaccinations must realize that it also has consequences but for all of society. He called that thinking “selfish.” Like others in the profession, he needs time to decompress from what he sees every day.

More information is available at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/360321515551279.

Turner School District to implement masks in schools

The Turner School District has announced it will implement masks in schools. Masks will be required inside buildings in the district, except for those who are involved in active athletic competitions. Masks are required on all school district transportation, including school buses.

Turner issued new guidelines on Aug. 17, and they are posted on the district’s website at https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1629308326/turner/pyoa6lrz6w0bftrjbtft/ReStartTurnerDetails81721.pdf.

BPU COVID report

The Board of Public Utilities has two employees who are quarantined because of COVID-19, General Manager Bill Johnson reported at the Wednesday night, Aug. 18, meeting.

Of the two employees, one has tested positive for COVID-19, he said.

COVID-19 booster shots on the horizon

A joint statement from the HHS, CDC, FDA, NIH and other health experts on booster shots was released on Aug. 18.

The statement included this information: “We are prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individual’s second dose. At that time, the individuals who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including many health care providers, nursing home residents, and other seniors, will likely be eligible for a booster. We would also begin efforts to deliver booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities at that time, given the distribution of vaccines to this population early in the vaccine rollout and the continued increased risk that COVID-19 poses to them.”

To read the entire statement, visit https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/joint-statement-hhs-public-health-and-medical-experts-covid-19-booster-shots

Free vaccines available

Free COVID-19 vaccines will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at the Kmart vaccination site, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Vaccines are free for people ages 12 and older. There are gifts available, and a “Spin to Win” promotion is ongoing for Wyandotte County residents, as supplies last.

The Health Department announced it would increase the Spin to Win prizes, starting Aug. 18, for first vaccines given at the Kmart site, according to a Health Department spokesman. Previously prizes were as high as $50, and now they will go up to $100.

Currently, the incentives and prizes are only at the Kmart site, and only available for people who live in Wyandotte County and come in for their first dose. There have been other prizes at some of the community events that the mobile vaccine team has attended.

For more information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.

The Health Department has announced it will give a third vaccine shot to moderately to severe immunocompromised patients. For more information, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/health-department-to-provide-third-vaccine-doses-for-immunocompromised-people/.

Cross-Lines Community Outreach will hold a free vaccine and testing event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, at 736 Shawnee Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines will be available. Another free vaccine and testing event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26, at Cross-Lines, 736 Shawnee Ave. These events are being held in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Back-to-school childhood immunizations will be available from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, at the Kmart vaccination site, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. These free immunizations are for children without health insurance or for children who are insured through KanCare (Medicaid). Parents should bring children’s vaccination records.

Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, plans free testing and COVID vaccinations from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22.

Mobile vaccines can still be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311).

Other sites available for vaccinations

Some doctors’ offices offer COVID-19 vaccinations. If you haven’t received your vaccination yet, call your doctor’s office to see if it is available now.

Free 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

The University of Kansas Health System reported a decrease in the active numbers of COVID inpatients on Wednesday. Fifty-four patients with the active virus were inpatients on Wednesday, a decrease of eight since Tuesday. Only 11 of those active patients were vaccinated, a decrease of 10 from Tuesday. Sixteen COVID patients were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of five from Tuesday. Ten patients were on ventilators, a decrease of four from Tuesday.

Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 21,560 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 124 since Tuesday, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 319 deaths reported, no change.

On Wednesday, Aug. 18, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 44.87 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 37.7 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 55.2 percent.

The Mid-America Regional Council on Wednesday reported 190,031 cases in Greater Kansas City, a nine-county area. There were a total of 2,577 deaths. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 167.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 353,390 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, Aug. 18, an increase of 3,006 since Monday, Aug. 16. There was a total of 5,456 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 62 since Aug. 16.

The KDHE reported 67,036 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on Aug. 18, an increase of 508 since Aug. 16. Leavenworth County had 8,652 cases, an increase of 94 since Aug. 16. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 63,449 cases, an increase of 461 since Aug. 16.
Douglas County (the Lawrence area) had 10,022 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Aug. 18, an increase of 74 since Aug. 16, according to KDHE. Shawnee County (the Topeka area) had 20,330 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 320 since Aug. 16. Riley County (the Manhattan area) had 6,960 cases, an increase of 32 cases since Aug. 16.

On Wednesday, there were a cumulative 37,155,004 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with cumulative 624,253 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
There were 602,938 vaccine doses reported administered Tuesday in the U.S., with 51 percent of the population fully vaccinated.
Vaccination progress: Texas, 75,001; Florida, 62,165; California, 49,623; Illinois, 39,880; and Pennsylvania, 36,533.
Vaccination progress: China, 11.9 million; India, 5.9 million; Japan, 2.3 million; South Korea, 1.2 million; and U.S., 602,900.
Countries with rising numbers of COVID-19 cases included U.S., 128,900; Iran, 50,228; Brazil, 37,613; India, 35,178; and United Kingdom, 26,709.

Free testing available

Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday at the UG Health Department’s central location, the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Free gift cards are available to those who get a test, while supplies last.

Free testing is also available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays at Vibrant Health – Argentine location, 1428 S. 32nd St., Kansas City, Kansas.

Free COVID tests also are being held at the Kansas National Guard Armory, including tests from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at 100 S. 20th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

COVID-19 testing is available at several locations in Wyandotte County.

Visit gogettested.com/Kansas and https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19 for more sites.

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.

To view the new mask order in Kansas City, Kansas, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/mask-mandate-resolution-r-47-21-effective-august-6-through-september-16-2021.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/ug-issues-mask-order-for-kck-and-other-portions-of-wyco.pdf.