The number of COVID-19 patients with the active virus at The University of Kansas Health System is up today. Seven are being treated, only one of whom had been admitted with COVID-19 symptoms, up from three yesterday. Of those patients, one is in the ICU, and is not vaccinated. Yesterday no patients were in the ICU. 10 other patients are still hospitalized because of COVID-19 but are out of the acute infection phase, down from 13 yesterday. That’s a total of 17 patients, up from 16 yesterday. HaysMed has one active and two recovering patients, the same as yesterday.
On today’s Morning Media Update, our 300th episode, we continue our focus on mental health as the month of May winds down. Olivia Ashbrook struggled with anxiety during the pandemic. She and her psychologist, Dr. Greg Nawalanic, joined to share how together they tackled Olivia's worries and fears.
Olivia Ashbrook has dealt with anxiety her whole life. Toss in her high-stress field of architecture and then a pandemic, and she woke up once in the middle of the night, called her mom and said she thought she was having a heart attack. Turns out it was only a panic attack, but she knew it was time to seek professional help before the pandemic mentally consumed her. She got help realizing that she’s the kind of person who likes to keep busy and deals with stress by getting out and being with friends and family, exactly what was halted because of the pandemic. The isolation of living alone and having to work at home became unbearable but her doctor helped her identify what was causing her anxiety and gave her the skills to cope with it. Now, since she’s fully vaccinated, she’s able to get out more, and even just taking a walk and deeply breathing the fresh air makes a big difference. She’s getting ready to go back to work next week, which, has caused some anxiety, but feels better about handling the stress. While she’s a little nervous, she hopes things can be a little more normal than they have been because she’s not sure what that is anymore. She says her life has changed and she realizes anxiety does not have to rule her life. She says, “It really does get better and talking with someone really helps.”
Dr. Nawalanic says Olivia’s story of anxiety made worse by the pandemic is “extraordinarily common.” He explains we all have anxiety to some degree…it’s what helps us gear up to meeting work deadlines for example. But he warns that letting anxiety continue without doing anything about it is like ignoring the check engine light in your car. It doesn’t just get better on its own. He cautions that if we ignore it long enough, which too many of us do, we have essentially the equivalent of a breakdown. Seeking mental help is vital and says doesn’t mean you need medication. Most times talk therapy helps, along with coping skills such as deep breathing, getting good, restful sleep, eating well, and exercising. He acknowledges the pandemic has brought about the fear of the unknown for many of us, but urges us to seek reputable material and people for advice, especially when it comes to vaccinations. Skipping the vaccine, he believes, is being irresponsible to the world, especially with such a widespread supply. One of his concerns when going out is the fear of mixing with those who refuse to get vaccinated but claim they are to avoid wearing a mask. He likens them to “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He urges everyone to seek help when the stress is getting to be too much.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, points out that 50 percent of Americans have had at least one vaccination, with a billion doses given around the world. He adds there have been no documented deaths from the vaccine while 600,000 in the U.S. have died from COVID-19. He stressed that mental and emotional health are vitally important to your physical health as well and not to put off our own needs during the pandemic. With the approaching Memorial Day holiday, he feels this is a crucial time in our battle against the virus, and urges everyone to follow the guidelines, especially those who have not been vaccinated but might be tempted to say they are. He says we’re already seeing the benefits for those who are vaccinated.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, believes the next big step toward getting people to accept the vaccine is when the FDA gives full approval, which could come later this year. He feels some businesses will then begin to require it of employees. He struggles with some lawmakers “veering into healthcare and saying we’re going to tell you can’t require it.” He adds, “I don’t think legislatures should be trying to dictate medical standard care and medical practice. I think that belongs strictly in the hands of those of us who do healthcare on a regular basis. And I don’t think that legislature should substitute medical judgement in that setting.”

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