In the News

What still gives me pause with things reopening is that there are still very sick patients with COVID being admitted every week. Matthew Prekker, critical care physician, Hennepin County Medical Center

Minnesota health officials are warning the public about the danger of methanol — wood alcohol — in some hand sanitizers, following a similar caution from the Food and Drug Administration.

“The FDA has seen a drastic increase in hand sanitizer products labeled as containing ethanol – but they are actually testing positive for methanol contamination,” explains Hennepin Healthcare emergency physician Dr. Travis Olives.

While the heat can affect us in many ways, Dr. Haylee Veazey says excessive heat won’t typically cause respiratory issues like a dry cough; that would be something else, possibly COVID-19.

The novel coronavirus outbreak has an increasing grip on young adults. Natalie Ikeman, a physician assistant with Hennepin Healthcare, said COVID-19 cases are trending upward among adults in their 20s and 30s.

Hennepin Healthcare’s Worksite Wellness program has pivoted to offering virtual resources, said Nanette Lomen, a registered nurse and clinical supervisor.

While racial inequalities have persisted for decades, the pandemic has brought them into stark relief and emphasized that “we are only healthy in Minnesota, when everybody in Minnesota is healthy,” said Jennifer DeCubellis, CEO of Hennepin Healthcare System.

While racial inequalities have persisted for decades, the pandemic has brought them into stark relief and emphasized that “we are only healthy in Minnesota, when everybody in Minnesota is healthy,” said Jennifer DeCubellis, CEO of Hennepin Healthcare System.

The committee also heard some statistics from the head of Hennepin Healthcare System on racial disparities in the impact of the virus. Chief Executive Officer Jennifer DeCubellis said that the system has done 30,000 COVID-19 tests with 4,300 of those positive tests. Of those testing positive, half are in non-English speaking people, 42 percent are from the Latinx community with Latinx people representing 28 percent of the hospitalizations.

“It is nice to be back and I think it gives people a lot of hope, ya know?” said Dr. Ndidiamaka Koka, the medical director of the East Lake Clinic. “They can see familiar faces and people that have been through other things in their lives.”

Dr. Kara Parker from Whittier Clinic joined MPR News host Angela Davis to talk about the mental and physical impacts of stress and how to reduce it for better health.

“There are so many more cases of depression, anxiety, and trauma related to everything that’s going on with COVID-19 and a lot of the civil unrest,”  Dr. Talee Vang, senior clinical psychologist in primary care behavioral health at Hennepin Healthcare, said.

Dr. Stacene Maroushek said children with underlying health conditions or under the age of one are more at risk.

Dr. Jim Miner, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare, says if you can’t see your feet when you’re up to your knees, you should not swim in that water. That’s because the algae blooms that make the water so dark and green can cause skin rashes and irritation, and give people flu-like symptoms.

Chaplain Nicole Smith: I have to wear a mask and goggles. It usually lets down patients’ guard to see my face, a friendly face, a smile. I usually come in with a cheerful voice. Now my voice is muffled and people have to ask, “What did you just say?” I’m not even sure they can see my eyes. I hope my eyes are smiling.

While social factors lead to health disparities, hospitals are working hard to make sure they aren’t reinforced by the care they provide with COVID-19 patients, said Syl Jones, equity and inclusion director at Hennepin Healthcare.

Jennifer DeCubellis had been CEO of Hennepin Healthcare, the sprawling system that operates the county’s flagship trauma hospital and clinics, for two weeks when COVID-19 upended her transition plans.

Hennepin Healthcare Trauma Prevention Specialist Julie Philbrook says planning your road trip ahead of time is more important than ever.

HCMC intensivists have been using the drug for treatment of severe COVID-19 cases almost from the start of the pandemic.

“That is just a stunning number that suggests a lot of people are not seeking care for things they should be seeking care for,” said Dr. John Hick, a state adviser on COVID-19 and an emergency medicine doctor at Hennepin Healthcare, where emergency visits were 43% lower than normal in April.