The University of Kansas Health System reports a slightly lower number of COVID patients today. 62 with the active virus are being treated, down from 63 yesterday. Two COVID patients died since yesterday, making 485 deaths at the health system since the beginning of the pandemic. 24 of the active patients are in the ICU, down from 28 yesterday. 14 are on ventilators, down from 16 yesterday. 37 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 38 yesterday. That’s a total of 99 patients, down from 101 yesterday. HaysMed has 11 patients today, down from 13 yesterday.

            On today’s Morning Medical Update, doctors answered media and community questions about COVID. Brandon Comfort, MD, works with long haul COVID patients at the health system. He joined Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control and Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer.                        First up, doctors discussed the combined number of COVID patients at hospitals around the Metro area. At the peak in January, the number was in the 600’s. Today it’s in the high 500’s. They also talked about a study just published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, about long haul COVID patients. It says about 50 percent of COVID patients can have long haul symptoms for a year. Dr. Comfort said the most common symptoms are debilitating fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, heart problems and brain fog. 800 patients have been treated so far in the Post COVID Clinic at the health system with another 350 scheduled.  They agree too many people focus on the death rate when those who survive tend to suffer for a long time from a disease that’s so preventable. At 8:10 on the video, they shared a graphic of advice given during the flu pandemic of 1918, which looks almost exactly like the infection prevention advice given today. At the top of the list: Wear a mask. They also reminded viewers of a free vaccination clinic at the City Market this Saturday put on by the Kansas City Health Department using their mobile vaccination unit.

Here are the media and community questions in the order the panel addressed them, followed by the short answer. The time code for the question is in parentheses. See the video for their full answers and comments.

• (13:38) Are there worries about supply shortages, like syringes? There was an issue around syringes back in January, but no supply shortages of any kind right now.
• (16:05) Have we seen a case of the Lambda variant? We have not. The Delta variant continues to be the dominant strain around the world.
• (17:15) How are therapies coming along? If we cannot fight this with enough people getting vaccinated, how are we doing with coming up with ways to keep people out of the hospital? We already have the best ways to keep people out of the hospital with vaccination and masking.
• (20:35) A COVID long hauler, 18 months post COVID, but not tested at the time due to it being early in the pandemic, can’t seem to get help because they never received a positive test. Can the T Detect test now available help tell if they had COVID so they can get help? The Post COVID Clinic requires a positive test to be treated, but that criteria may be reevaluated. Right now, a primary care doctor can still refer patients for many of the services offered in the clinic. The T Detect test is under early use authorization by the FDA.
• (23:40) I'm scheduled for my second shingles shot this weekend. How soon after can I get the booster shot for COVID? The most current advice is no waiting time is needed, you can get multiple vaccines at the same visit.
• (24:45) How do you treat loss of smell from COVID? Patients are given smell therapy exercises to do at home to restimulate and retrain the nerves used in smelling.
• (25:45) A friend thinks taking vitamin C and D will prevent COVID and that she'd want ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to cure it if she got it. How does one convince her this is fake and to just get the vaccine? Ask the friend if they believe their doctor when they talk about their high blood pressure, diabetes, or other ailment. Why would you not believe them when it comes to COVID? Doctors are able to change many minds every day in one-on-one conversations. The CDC also has an excellent phone app with accurate information.
• (32:20) Are you prescribing exercise and better diet as a way to combat COVID, since obesity makes you more at risk? It’s the same advice given to patients for any disease as obesity is not just a risk for COVID patients.
• (32:45) I've heard multiple sources say kids 5-11 won't be eligible for the vaccine until December. I thought it was October. Can you help clear this up? Until it actually happens, the timing is just speculation. The FDA has asked the vaccine makers for more information, which then takes longer to analyze.
• (35:10) Can you discuss the FDA Pfizer approval, and would the doctors prescribe off label to kids? Right now, there is no authorization or approval to give it to kids under 12 because it has not been studied.
• (38:00) New studies are showing clotting markers increased in long haulers. Have you seen similar results? Yes, we have seen this. There are active studies looking at the best ways to treat these patients.
• (40:00) Where can I get more information about the long haul clinic? Your primary care doctor can refer you. Also this health system web site describes some of the conditions treated in the clinic.
• (40:20) Some claim that the vaccinated population is the primary source of spreading Delta. Any truth to this? None at all. The opposite is true. If you are vaccinated, your chance of spreading the virus is much reduced.
• (42:05) What is the criteria to use ECMO and are we in danger of not having enough equipment for patients without COVID? You have to be very sick to be on ECMO, as it’s a substitute for your heart and lungs, and the last resort for some COVID patients. There are not enough machines and trained people in the city to treat everyone who needs it.
• (44:50) Where do you go to get monoclonal antibody therapy in Kansas? Do you need to be high risk to get it? There are certain criteria needed for this outpatient infusion. There are several places around the city, including the health system, which offer this treatment. It’s best to get a referral from your doctor.

Dr. Stites ended the program by saying, “Today is not forever. And tomorrow is not yesterday. Only one person can make that true. It’s you.”

            Monday, August 30 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. We’ll be joined by the family of a little girl who was recently diagnosed with COVID. Also, Dr. Angela Myers is the Infectious Diseases Division Director at Children's Mercy. She will be here to help answer questions about COVID and kids, the vaccine and what they're patient load is like since we saw her last.

NOTE:  Journalists should rejoin the Morning Medical Update at 8am as doctors are growing too busy again for individual interview requests.  Please bring questions or send to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu until further notice.  Thanks for all you do and helping to keep the community safe with your reporting.

ATTENTION: media procedure for calling in:

 The meeting is available by Zoom, both video and by phone. To join the Zoom Meeting by video, click https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628

Telephone dial-in Participants: For those without Zoom, call 1-312-626-6799, meeting ID: 782 897 8628.

The feed is also available via TVU grid. The TVU source is UoK_Health and is being made available to all.

Feel free to send questions in advance to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.