Johnson County up to 24 coronavirus cases, an increase of 8 despite limits on tests
Johnson County announced it has 24 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of eight since Thursday, despite a reduction in access to testing.
Fifty cases have been reported in Kansas as of Friday afternoon, including two more in Leavenworth County, one more in Butler County, and the first cases in Riley and Sedgwick counties.
One person, a man in his 70s, died March 12 in Wyandotte County.
On Wednesday, state health officials announced community transmission was present in Johnson County. Because of that, and a limited number of supply kits, only Johnson County residents hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms are being tested, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman.
That decision was met with criticism Thursday from elected officials.
“I very much take exception however with the KDHE secretary, Lee Norman, making Johnson County sound like a lost cause,” said Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown. “We are the largest populated county in Kansas at nearly 600,000 people and the economic engine of Kansas. I expect a lot more from those with such power and authority. “
State Sen. Barbara Bollier, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, criticized the federal government and President Donald Trump.
“I’m disappointed that the federal government has not followed through and as a result, puts our communities at risk through inadequate testing. Expanded testing is needed to understand the scope of this pandemic in Kansas,” she said.
Anyone in the county with mild symptoms, Norman said, is asked to self isolate for at least seven days after symptoms start or 72 hours after their fever is gone.
Mendy McGuire, of Leawood, said she has been trying to get tested since Tuesday, when she was discharged from an Overland Park hospital. The emergency department sent her home with papers showing that doctors suspected she had the virus and referring her for testing. McGuire had recently traveled domestically and had symptoms including shortness of breath.
But she was turned away from a clinic Tuesday in Kansas City and a second clinic Wednesday in Johnson County.
She has been in self-isolation since.
“(Thursday) my chest was hurting, I would say yesterday was probably my worst day in terms of breathing and feeling bad,” McGuire said. “Not knowing or having a definitive answer and knowing really the only way you’re going to get a definitive answer is to be hospitalized is very unsettling.”
McGuire said she understands the reason behind rationing the test kits.
“But from a public health perspective, it’s terrifying because I feel like people who are not taking this as seriously as they should, this doesn’t do anything to help raise that sense of urgency with them.”
More than 14,000 cases have been reported in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 12:24 PM.
