Newsworthy

COVID-19 Update (07.29.2021)

Dear Community Partners,

Just three hours and 28 minutes away from Topeka, a COVID-19 nightmare is playing out.

Hospitals in southwest Missouri are overwhelmed with patients as the delta variant surges. Deaths are mounting.

The two Springfield hospitals reported 27 COVID deaths last weekend alone. As of the past Monday, those hospitals combined had had 132 deaths in the month of July.

Nearby, an Osage Beach hospital was reporting 22 deaths in a 23-day period.

Erik Frederick, Mercy Springfield’s Chief Administrative Officer, sent this message via Twitter when he announced his hospital’s COVID-19 death count: “This is very hard for our team. I said the same last year. The difference now is that most of this could be prevented. That adds an extra layer of anguish.”

For many Kansans, these areas in Missouri represent a place to go for relaxation at the lake or to enjoy the shows at Branson. But today, the Ozarks is getting national attention because of its dramatic rise in COVID-19 infections. That surge is largely blamed on low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas, coupled with a highly contagious and transmissible variant.

Missouri health officials said 41% of Missourians are fully vaccinated. In Kansas, 42% of the population have completed vaccination, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Bottom line, we can avoid this kind of community agony if more people act now to get vaccinated.

Just get the shot.

Here are today’s updates:

  • “To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight
  • COVID-19 Updates

“To Your Health” on WIBW-TV Tonight
Dr. Hassan Taha, intensivist, and Dr. Clif Jones, Vice President, Sub-Specialty Services, and infectious disease specialist, will discuss the increase in COVID-19 patients we are seeing on tonight’s “To Your Health” segment at 10 p.m. on WIBW-TV, Channel 13. The segment typically repeats at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays on 13 News This Morning and be posted on wibw.com.

COVID-19 Updates

Highlights from today’s COVID-19 scorecard:

  • We have 30 inpatients who are COVID-19 positive today.
  • We have 65 COVID-19 positive patients in the outpatient Enhanced Primary Care program.
  • The percentage of patients testing positive for COVID-19 at Stormont Vail facilities is 14.1%.
  • We have administered 86,978 vaccinations, which included first and second doses of the vaccine.
  • All Kansans age 12 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
  • COVID-19 vaccines are available through the Stormont Vail Retail Pharmacy, 2252 S.W. 10th Ave.
  • To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment:
  • Walk-ins are welcome from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • Appointments take approximately 30 minutes, including a 15-minute required observation.

We together,
Robert Kenagy, MD

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