Oct. 7, 2022
Dear Members of the Baylor College of Medicine Community,
Back this week with another Q&A session, one of the more popular features of the weekly videos.
Before answering the questions you have submitted, however, let’s take a quick look at the COVID numbers. Last week, the 7-day average COVID testing positivity rate was 4 percent for Texas Medical Center hospital systems. Last week, the rate was 5.5 percent. Last month, it was 7.7 percent. Last week, on average TMC admitted 90 new COVID-19 patients per day in its hospitals. Last week, it was 105 hospitalization per day. Last month, it was 125 hospitalizations per day. Last week, on average the wastewater viral load was 71 percent of baseline. The previous week it was 151 percent.
Bottom line, things are looking great for our area. I’ll include the caution that as long as the virus is spreading somewhere in the world, there is a chance of a new variant appearing that could be a cause of concern.
Many questions to answer in this week’s video – from antigen tests and boosters to the confirmation that flu season has started early this year. As always, if you have a question, please submit to president@bcm.edu. I try to answer them as they come in and pull some of them together for a weekly video session every few weeks.
Be sure to check out the Shout Outs at the end of this week’s video. Lily heard that next Thursday is Ombuds Day and the BCM Ombuds Office is hosting an open house in their offices on Oct. 13 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Word on the street is the ombuds team will have coffee and doughnuts. As you can see, Lily is already dressed for the event and urges you all to join her in room 409A of the Cullen building on the main campus. Hurry before she eats all the doughnuts!
This is the designated week to recognize all of our wonderful PAs, but we are grateful for their work every week! Thank you, Physician Assistants!
Have a great weekend.
Paul Klotman, M.D.
President & CEO
Executive Dean
