COVID-19 cases down in Kansas City. Officials advise getting new bivalent booster shot
.jpg "A nurse fills a syringe with COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination site in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, March 19, 2021.")
COVID-19 case numbers fell in the Kansas City area this past week as new bivalent booster shots arrived at clinics around the metro. These boosters offer protection from both the original COVID-19 and several strains of the omicron variant. The CDC as well as local health officials are advising anyone 12 years or older who has received an initial COVID-19 vaccination to get one of these new shots.
As case numbers and hospitalizations continue to fall around the country, Kansas City’s numbers are declining at a slower pace, and less consistently. While case totals declined in the past week, they rose during the previous week by over 250 cases. The COVID patient count in The University of Kansas Health System is also slightly higher than last week’s total.
“We are kind of static as far as number of active infections,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System in a Friday news briefing. “Hopefully that will trend down.”
Hawkinson added that as football season arrives, gathering in outdoor venues and getting up to date with vaccinations are good ways to celebrate safely.
“We certainly want to make sure we’re protecting the most at-risk people,” he said. “If you do feel uncomfortable, it is always appropriate to wear a mask… but overall, because of the setup of Arrowhead, you are going to be pretty safe (at games) just because of that airflow and that ventilation.”
What does Kansas City’s COVID-19 data look like this week?
Officials reported a total of 1,769 new cases in the Kansas City area since last week. That’s lower than last week’s total of 2,236 new cases. That means the metro saw around 253 cases per day in the past week, up from around 319 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 two new deaths and Wyandotte County reported one in the past week. That brings the Kansas City metro area’s death total up to at least 4,355 since the pandemic began.
What are the COVID-19 risk levels in the Kansas City area?
Clay, Platte, Jackson and Wyandotte counties all remain at a “medium” community level of COVID-19, the same as last week. That means the CDC recommends maintaining good ventilation, getting up to date on your vaccines and boosters, and wearing a mask if you are immunocompromised or indoors with someone who is.
Johnson County is still at a “low” community level this week, and no local counties are at a “high” level.
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 22 patients with active COVID-19 infections, up from 18 at this time last week. Five of these patients are in the ICU, and two of them are on ventilators, up from three ICU patients and one on a ventilator last week.
MARC data shows that average daily hospitalizations are still decreasing in the broader Kansas City area. Hospitalization trends usually follow several weeks behind case numbers, although current case numbers may not accurately reflect the full extent of the virus due to home testing.
How vaccinated is the Kansas City area?
Vaccination rates in the area are rising slowly, with 63.59% of the population fully vaccinated in the Kansas City region. Eastern Kansas has a higher vaccination rate, at 72.25%, than western Missouri does at 57.15%.
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, and new boosters are on the way.
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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