COVID transmission levels high in Kansas City, but hospitalizations stay low in mini wave
Reported cases of COVID-19 increased again this week while hospitalizations and death rates remained low.
Experts at the University of Kansas Health System noted last week that omicron BA.2 has largely given way to its close relative, called BA.2.12.1, and that small amounts of the new subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are evident in the Midwest as well.
“SARS-CoV-2 has the ability to mutate rapidly, especially when there’s widespread community transmission,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the hospital’s chief medical officer. “We’re going to have to expect to see this ongoing evolution.”
However, these new subvariants are very similar to their earlier relatives. They cause largely the same cold-like symptoms as BA.2 and the original omicron, and have not yet caused a spike in hospitalizations in the metro.
What does Kansas City’s COVID-19 data look like this week?
Officials reported a total of 2,577 new cases in the Kansas City area over the past week. That’s higher than last week’s total of 2,227 new cases. The past week saw an average of around 368 cases per day in the metro area, while the previous week’s average was 318 cases per day over seven days.
While these numbers may offer a small glimpse at the true prevalence of COVID-19 in Kansas City, experts say real case totals are likely anywhere from two to five times higher than what data shows. Some residents– though we don’t know how many– have caught the virus for the first time after avoiding it for over two years.
The state of Missouri is no longer reporting death counts at the county level. Johnson County reported two deaths in the last week, while Wyandotte County reported none. That brings the Kansas City metro area’s death total up to at least 4,324 since the pandemic began.
How are hospitals holding up?
The University of Kansas Health System is currently treating six patients with active COVID-19 infections, down from seven at this time last week. Two of these patients are in the ICU, but none are on a ventilator.
“Our active infections continue to be very low,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, the hospital’s medical director of infectious disease prevention and control. “We know that in the U.S. in general, the number of cases has been fairly stagnant… we haven’t seen that increase in hospitalizations, and that’s always good.”
He added that vaccines for children under age five are expected to roll out as soon as June 20.
What are the COVID-19 risk levels in the Kansas City area?
The CDC classifies COVID-19 levels by county in two ways. “Community levels” tell us how easy it is to access care for COVID-19 in your area, using statistics like hospital bed availability and ICU capacity. “Community transmission levels,” on the other hand, give a sense of how likely you are to catch the virus while out in public.
Currently, all the counties in the metro have “low” community levels with the exception oh Johnson County, which is classified as a “medium” risk area. All counties have “high” transmission levels. That means that while medical care for COVID-19 is easy to access right now, your risk of catching COVID-19 is elevated.
How vaccinated is the Kansas City area?
Vaccination rates in the area are rising slowly, with 62.33% of the population fully vaccinated in the Kansas City region. Eastern Kansas has a higher vaccination rate, at 70.54%, than western Missouri does at 56.21%.
Getting vaccinated and obtaining a booster shot is still the most effective way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Both mRNA booster shots (Pfizer and Moderna) are safe and effective at reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death.
Do you have more questions about staying safe from COVID-19 in Kansas City? Ask our Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published June 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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