COVID cases down slightly in Kansas City, Johnson County drops to ‘low’ community level
COVID-19 case numbers are down in the Kansas City area, with all but one county seeing a decreased number of new cases since last week. Cases were up slightly in Clay County.
While hospitalizations remain steady, this drop may indicate the beginning of a down-trend in case numbers in the metro.
“I think we have really seen some plateaus for cases,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, the medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System in a Friday news briefing.
Johnson County has dropped from a “high” to a “low” community level of COVID-19 in just one week, indicating that access to medical care in the county has improved. Wyandotte County dropped from “high” to “medium.” However, all counties in the metro are still experiencing “high” transmission levels of the virus, meaning that your likelihood of catching it in public is still elevated.
What does Kansas City’s COVID-19 data look like this week?
Officials reported a total of 2,857 new cases in the Kansas City area since last week. That’s lower than last week’s total of 3,502 new cases. That means the metro saw around 408 cases per day in the past week, down from around 500 per day the previous week.
Since many people are taking COVID tests at home, which aren’t publicly recorded, experts say real case totals are likely anywhere from two to five times higher than what data shows.
The state of Missouri is no longer reporting death counts at the county level. Johnson County reported one death in the past week, while Wyandotte County did not report any new deaths. That brings the Kansas City metro area’s death total up to at least 4,341 since the pandemic began.
What are the COVID-19 risk levels in the Kansas City area?
Johnson County has dropped to a “low” community level since just last week. This means that care for COVID-19 is easily accessible and strict precautions are not required, according to the CDC.
Jackson County remains at a “high” community level of COVID-19. That means the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors regardless of your vaccination status, maintaining good ventilation and getting up to date on your vaccines and boosters.
Clay and Platte counties are still at a “medium” community level, and Wyandotte County has joined them. This level carries similar recommendations, but masks are not encouraged indoors at this level unless you are immunocompromised or indoors with someone who is.
All five counties that make up the Kansas City metro area remain at “high” transmission levels, along with most of the other counties in the nation. That means your risk of catching COVID-19 in public is still elevated, even though medical care may be easier to access than before.
How are hospitals holding up?
The University of Kansas Health System is treating 28 patients with active COVID-19 infections, the same number as at this time last week. Four of these patients are in the ICU, and one of them is on a ventilator, compared to four and two respectively at this time last week.
“COVID [patient] numbers are staying in the high twenties right now,” Hawkinson said. “But Hopefully the overall cases and circulation of the virus is going to decrease, and hospitalizations will end up following that.”
Hospitalization data generally lags several weeks behind case trends, and current case counts show only a portion of the true case numbers in the area because of people testing at home, which does not get counted in public health data.
The BA.5 strain of the omicron variant has the ability to evade some antibodies caused by vaccination and past infections, so it is reinfecting some people who have had COVID recently. However, the protection provided by currently available vaccines and booster shots is still the best defense against severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.
How vaccinated is the Kansas City area?
Vaccination rates in the area are rising slowly, with 63.16% of the population fully vaccinated in the Kansas City region. Eastern Kansas has a higher vaccination rate, at 71.71%, than western Missouri does at 56.79%.
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.
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