Younger population feels force of COVID-19 in Kansas, Missouri. Some end up in the ICU
As the coronavirus continues to disrupt lives across the nation, its impact is being increasingly felt by younger populations in Kansas and Missouri.
Young people ages 20 to 24 make up the largest group of coronavirus cases in Missouri, according to data from the state health department. In Kansas, those ages 25 to 34 make up the biggest group of cases.
While older people and those with underlying health conditions may be more likely to contract and suffer from COVID-19, the number of cases among younger people has climbed in recent weeks. Some have ended up in the intensive care unit.
Eight of the University of Kansas Health System’s 25 hospitalized patients on Tuesday were in the intensive care unit, including a patient in their 30s.
“Unfortunately though our age ranges, even in the ICU — 32 to 83,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the health system. “So we have young people in the ICU.”
Two patients hospitalized for the virus Tuesday were pediatric patients.
Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the health system, said Tuesday that as the pandemic has developed, the demographics have shifted.
In late March and early April, an older population made up most of the cases, but “this time it’s a younger population,” he said.
Last week, doctors from across the Kansas City metro reported a jump in the number of younger people requiring hospitalization — including some who had no underlying health problems, according to Raghu Adiga, chief medical officer at Liberty Hospital.
Larry Botts, chief medical officer of AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, said the positive test rate was on the rise.
“This has been mostly in the younger population. The age of those that are positive has decreased significantly,” Botts said.
Earlier this month, health officials in Cass County announced a cluster of cases had been linked to a party attended by hundreds. At least five cases had been confirmed and a teen who helped promote the event said at least 10 had experienced symptoms.
In Missouri, people in their early 20s make up the biggest chunk of cases with 2,852, followed by those in their late 20s with 2,696.
In contrast, 1,874 people age 60 to 64 and 1,377 people age 65 to 69 have tested positive.
This past week, the median age for cases was 35, said Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The overall median age is 43.
“Recent cases are definitely still skewing younger than they were early in the pandemic,” she said in an email.
Six people age 20 to 29 have died in the state. Five people in their 30s and 21 people in their 40s have died from the virus.
A total of 28,826 cases have been reported including 1,093 deaths, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
In Kansas, those ages 25 to 34 make up the largest group of cases with 19.3% of the state’s cases. That’s followed by those age 18 to 24 at 18.2%.
About 10% of the patients who have required hospitalization have been 18 to 34 years old.
The youngest person to die of COVID-19 in Kansas was 29. One other person who died fell into the 25 to 34 age group.
Six people age 35 to 44 have died.
A total of 20,058 cases have been confirmed in Kansas including 288 deaths, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 4:44 PM.
