It’s possible that vaccines could begin soon, according to doctors at the University of Kansas Health System.
Pfizer has already shipped some doses to centers across the country, awaiting FDA emergency use approval Thursday, according to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer for the health system.
KU Health System is one of the five sites in Kansas to receive vaccines, he said. If the FDA grants emergency use authorization on Thursday, vaccinations could begin as early as Friday, he said.
The first vaccinations here would go to health care workers. Residents of nursing homes also are on the list to get the first vaccines.
The CDC and Health and Human Services have determined the number of doses to go to each state, then each state determines who will get the vaccines first.
Kansas has sent out notifications to each center about the number of doses they will receive, the numbers they may give in their own hospitals, and the numbers they have to distribute in the communities, he said.
KU Health System has prioritized its internal vaccines to be given to front-line workers actually taking care of COVID-19 patients first, he said. Residents of nursing homes also are prioritized, and the doctors expect their hospital COVID-19 inpatients to be much lower by the end of January because of this priority.
“We have been meeting with the state and Wyandotte County, working to get everybody in those vulnerable tiers to get vaccinated first,” Dr. Dana Hawkinson, director of medical prevention and control at KU Health System, said.
They continue to get more details every week, he added.
Dr. Matthias Salathe, chair of internal medicine at KU Health System, and Dr. Kevin Ault, obstetrician and gynecologist at KU Health System and a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, answered questions about the vaccines during Monday morning’s news conference.
They discussed misinformation about the vaccines, such as it causes sterility, or that it alters genetic codes, which is not true, the doctors said. They also answered several other questions.
For the general population, vaccines may not be available for a few months, and it could be as late as summer or fall. Mask-wearing and social distancing will be necessary until then, according to the doctors.
The University of Kansas Health System reported a slight drop in the number of active COVID-19 patients on Monday at the hospital, according to Dr. Hawkinson. There were 82 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, a decrease from 87 on Friday. There were 47 patients in the intensive care unit, an increase of one from Friday, with 38 of the ICU patients on ventilators, an increase of eight from Friday. There were 59 other COVID-19 patients still in the hospital who are in the recovery phase, a decrease from 68 on Friday. The hospital had 141 total COVID-19 patients, a decrease of 14 from Friday.
HaysMed reported 25 total COVID-19 inpatients, a decrease from 33 on Friday, with 20 active patients and five in the recovery phase.
It’s likely that some patients who were infected at Thanksgiving gatherings will develop symptoms and some will be hospitalized, with hospitalizations following infections by about 10 to 14 days, according to the doctors. They are hoping any surge that might occur will be minimal.
Wyandotte County case numbers increasing
Wyandotte County reported 11,745 total cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday, with an increase of 102 since Sunday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There were 184 deaths, no change from Sunday.
Kansas reported 174,025 cumulative cases on Monday, an increase of 5,730 cases since Friday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 70 deaths reported, for a cumulative 1,856.
The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard reported 14,949,229 cumulative cases in the United States on Monday, up 192,215 since Sunday. There were 283,703 cumulative deaths reported, an increase of 1,435 deaths since Sunday.
Free COVID-19 testing available Tuesday
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, at All Saints parish, 811 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
The pop-up test is through Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force.
The Unified Government Health Department has moved its COVID-19 testing from the 6th and Ann location to the former Kmart at 78th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. The tests are now saliva COVID-19 tests.
The tests now 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.
For more information about the testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
The KU doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/143586157196709.
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.
Wyandotte County is under a mandatory mask and social distancing order. Also, the Wyandotte County health order with a limit of 10 persons to a gathering, and a closing time of 10 p.m. for restaurants and bars, with other new restrictions, is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/11162020localhealthorderexecuted.pdf.
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 CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.