By ANTHONY GUERRERO
Tiger Media Network
COVID-19 cases are still being reported across the county and in the state of Kansas. In recent weeks, there has been a notable rise in hospital admissions in Eastern Kansas as a new wave of potential cases looms over the horizon.
According to the Kansas Reflector, The University of Kansas Health System reported 19 patients being treated for COVID-19 last week, a rate that has increased in recent weeks. KU Director of the Infection Control and Prevention program, Dana Hawkinson, told the Reflector that despite the rise in cases, it’s still nearly half what it was last year in the same time frame.
“Hospitalizations have increased a little bit but nowhere near what we have seen in the past, and even the rate of increase is pretty low or slow compared to other peaks and highs,” Hawkinson said in the article.
At Fort Hays State University, faculty and students reflect on the pandemic. FHSU Chief Communications Officer, Scott Cason, said he’s unsure of the future of COVID-19 in Hays but will act accordingly depending on incoming data.
“The Critical Incident Policy Group is committed to basing our decisions on the most accurate and up-to-date information from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment),” Cason said. “The health and safety of our community will always be our primary focus.”
Statistics provided by the CDC show COVID-19 hospitalizations up by 7.7% across the country from September 9-21, with over 20,000 cases this past week. Southeast Kansas has had roughly 247 hospital admissions in that same time frame while Northeast has reported around 243.
Cason said the measures taken at FHSU during the height of the pandemic were effective, providing students with quarantine and isolation spaces on campus.
“I think we struck the right balance between keeping our campus open and a vibrant hub for living and learning while taking the necessary steps to contain the spread of the virus,” he said.
FHSU student, Colson Browning, said that one restriction he would be opposed to if COVID cases do increase is the mask mandates, remaining skeptical of their effectiveness.
“I would say masking doesn’t make that big of a difference,” Browning said. “I think people should be able to decide if they wear a mask or not.”
Browning also noted the difficulty of learning while wearing a mask but encouraged others to mask if they felt the need to.
FHSU student, Guadalupe Urbina-Montes, is in favor of mask mandates, believing them to have been helpful during the pandemic.
“Obviously, we didn’t get rid of it (COVID) completely, but that’s kind of hard because that was the first time we saw COVID-19,” Montes said. “I felt safe when I followed those guidelines and I would do it for the safety of others.”
Both Browning and Montes said they caught COVID during the height of the pandemic.
Cason recommends contacting Health and Wellness Services at 785-628-4401 for more information as they currently offer COVID-19 testing.
“The onset of the COVID pandemic was a challenge for us all but we came together as a community and responded appropriately,” Cason said “If necessary, we will rise again to any new COVID-19 challenges.”