KC metro adds fewer than 100 COVID-19 cases, but hospitals report uptick in patients
The Kansas City metropolitan area added less than 100 new COVID-19 cases, but local health systems on Wednesday reported upticks in hospitalizations.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas gained 98 COVID-19 cases for a total of 141,254.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases dropped to 89, according to data maintained by The Star. One week ago, it was 128 and two weeks ago, it was 102.
Two deaths, both in Kansas City, were reported Wednesday, raising the area’s total to 2,079. The seven-day rolling average for daily deaths was two.
The Kansas City Health Department said it administered more than 1,500 doses of the vaccine during the week ending March 18. About 47% went to white people, 36% went to Black residents, 4% to Hispanics, 11% to Asians and the rest were unreported.
The number of patients being treated for the virus at The University of Kansas Health System doubled from eight on Tuesday to 16.
Three were in the intensive care unit with two on ventilators.
“Our numbers are still good for our hospital capacity, but it’s certainly not where we’d like it and isn’t where it has been,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control.
Truman Medical Center also reported a slight uptick with 13 patients, up by five from Monday, according to chief clinical officer Mark Steele. The hospital has administered more than 67,000 vaccinations.
In recent weeks at Liberty Hospital, the hospital has seen as few as three COVID-19 patients, but there were seven on Wednesday, said chief medical officer Raghu Adiga. More than 50,000 doses have been administered through a partnership with Cerner and the Clay County Health Department.
“We need to keep the distancing and the masking going for just a little while longer until we can get these vaccinations, especially since we are turning to the younger generation who are more mobile and likely to be spreading (the virus),” Adiga said.
AdventHealth Shawnee Mission chief medical officer Larry Botts said they have not seen an increase in COVID-19 patients with between five and 10 admitted to the hospital, which has administered more than 30,000 vaccine doses.
On Wednesday, Kansas confirmed 300,927 cases including 4,881 deaths. The monthly positive test rate was 2.8%.
Of the state’s population, 24.2% has initiated vaccination. The state has distributed 1,454,080 doses with 1,067,865 administered, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said.
Missouri reported 486,917 cases including 8,434 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 4%.
Twenty-three percent of the state’s population has initiated vaccination, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Missouri has administered 2,144,227 doses. It has received 3,026,395 doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Across the country, more than 29.9 million people have contracted COVID-19 and 544,131 have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Wednesday.
