Hi @mugwump - the short answer is no as the red indicator is based on whether the channel is marked as unread.
That said, would you like to contribute this in the feature idea forum so it can be discussed, upvoted and considered for a help wanted ticket?
Please include a link back to this issue. If you’re interested in implementing, please say so and we’ll prioritize the review.
You get 10 votes in the feature idea forum, and each one influences the future of the project.