Kansas could approve $50 million in COVID-19 testing. Here’s how it might be spent
TOPEKA — Kansas may spend $50 million to provide residents easier, faster access to coronavirus testing in the months ahead — an expansion that will take place as people grapple with the twin threats of COVID-19 and the flu.
Kansas has continued to struggle to establish the kind of quick, broad testing that some states have largely achieved more than six months into the pandemic. Kansas has one of the highest rates of positive tests in the country, a possible sign the state isn’t testing enough.
“I think it’ll be a real game changer. It’ll broaden the testing dramatically,” said Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment who has been leading the state’s health response to the virus.
The proposed testing reinforcements will come as Kansas edges into flu season, which may be chaotic this year as those not feeling well wonder whether they caught a common ailment or a novel virus. COVID-19 and the flu share several symptoms, including fever, body aches and shortness of breath.
Flu season, Norman said at a press briefing Wednesday, will likely result in an increased demand for coronavirus testing.
“If a person is Influenza A or B positive they’ll still be sent off for COVID testing,” he said.
Norman said last week he also expects a surge in COVID-19 cases this fall alongside flu season. Additional testing, he said, will be “a shot in the arm” for the state’s response.
Since March, more than 50,000 Kansans have tested positive — roughly the equivalent of the populations of Lenexa or Salina. More than 500 people have died.
On Wednesday, Gov. Laura Kelly’s pandemic recovery task force sent a $50 million testing proposal to the State Finance Council for approval. The panel included $33 million in reserve funds in case more is needed. The funding would come from federal relief dollars.
Kelly chairs the council, which is dominated by top Republican lawmakers. The council is scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon.
The Democratic governor has tangled with the council’s GOP members in the past, but Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, have pushed for spending on expanded testing capacity in recent weeks.
Although Kansas is not nearly as far “in a hole” as it was when the disease began spreading in March, Norman said last week that the state still needs broader testing and quicker turnaround times to effectively manage the pandemic. Kansas currently has the sixth-highest positivity rate among the states.
The state’s average positive rate for COVID-19 tests hasn’t dipped below 9 percent since July. The seven-day rolling average currently stands at 13.8 percent but was as high as 18.4 percent earlier this month, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The positivity rate can be used to measure a state’s testing strategy and prevalence of the virus. In a previous interview with The Star Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation, said states should aim for a positivity rate at or below 3%.
Even as it has a high positivity rate, Kansas is also testing a relatively small percentage of its population. According to Johns Hopkins, Kansas is conducting 1.1 tests per 1,000 residents per week, the 10th worst state in that category. By contrast, the highest-ranked state, Rhode Island, is running 8.1 tests per 1,000 residents.
But flu season may add to the demand for COVID-19 tests, said Julie Swann, a North Carolina State University professor who has worked with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Some of the symptoms for COVID and flu might look the same, so it might be that you need both tests to determine if you have one or the other,” Swann said.
If the council approves the testing dollars, Kansas will take applications for funding. State officials are likely to strongly consider three plans Norman previewed last week. They include programs by Wichita State University, KDHE and Kansas City-based MAWD Pathology Group.
The proposals will target testing among private businesses, the areas in and around Sedgwick County and K-12 schools.
After the state was left “scrambling” for resources early in the pandemic, Norman said, KDHE developed a $20 million proposal that involves pre-purchasing testing supplies so that Kansas is prepared for outbreaks in K-12 schools.
The department, he said, would seek to capitalize on innovation within COVID-19 testing to access kits that allow for fast results and onsite testing.
MAWD Pathology’s $20 million proposal would focus on the eastern Kansas counties Johnson, Wyandotte, Miami and Leavenworth. The private organization would provide 50,000 tests each month with the goal of helping businesses ensure that 15% of their workforce is tested each month.
Wichita State University asked for $12 million to conduct up to 22,500 tests per week for the campus community, local businesses and schools, president Jay Golden told the legislative budget committee on Sept. 3.
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Efficient and available testing, Norman said, is key to other tools for virus response such as contact tracing. This is especially key as schools reopen and colder weather makes outdoor gatherings more difficult.
“Testing is where it starts,” Norman said. “Testing doesn’t finish anything.”
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 1:20 PM.
