COVID cases are up slightly in Kansas City as nationwide decline continues
COVID-19 cases in Kansas City are up slightly this week compared to last week, but they remain low overall. Hospitalizations are also continuing to fall, according to regional data. At this time, there’s no evidence that a new wave is beginning.
“We know that nationally cases are going down, but still the running seven-day average is 35,000 reported cases,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System in a Friday news briefing. “Obviously we know that (some) people are not testing or testing at home, so that number may be skewed.”
Hawkinson added that hospitalization numbers are declining nationwide as well, but are still “quite high” around the country.
Part of our defense against the most active COVID-19 variants are the new bivalent booster shots that have arrived at clinics around the metro. These boosters offer protection from both the original COVID-19 and several strains of the omicron variant. Anyone 12 years or older who has received an initial COVID-19 vaccination can get one of these new shots.
What does Kansas City’s COVID-19 data look like this week?
Officials reported a total of 1,095 new cases in the Kansas City area since last week. That’s slightly higher than last week’s total of 1,057 new cases. That means the metro saw around 156 cases per day in the past week, up from around 151 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 new death this past week and Wyandotte County reported 12 due to a recent internal data update. That brings the Kansas City metro area’s death total up to at least 4,397 since the pandemic began.
How are hospitals holding up?
The University of Kansas Health System is treating 28 patients with active COVID-19 infections, similar to 29 at this time last week. Three of these patients are in the ICU and one of them is on a ventilator, down from five ICU patients and three on ventilators last week.
“I think we need to continue to be on the lookout for those (new variants), but for right now our vaccines continue to be fairly high efficacy for reducing that risk and developing those immune responses,” Hawkinson said.
MARC hospitalization data shows that the greater Kansas City area is now seeing an average of 44 new hospitalizations per day, down from 59 a week ago. 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.
What are the COVID-19 risk levels in the Kansas City area?
Clay, Platte, Jackson counties have all remained at a “low” community level of COVID-19 since last week when they joined Johnson County at this ranking. This indicates the medical care is readily available for COVID-19 patients.
Wyandotte County is still at a “medium” community level. 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.
All five counties that make up the Kansas City metro area remain at “high” transmission levels, along with around half 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 vaccinated is the Kansas City area?
Vaccination rates in the area are rising slowly, with 64.09% of the population fully vaccinated in the Kansas City region. Eastern Kansas has a higher vaccination rate, at 72.92%, than western Missouri does at 57.51%.
Getting vaccinated and obtaining a booster shot is still the most effective way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. New bivalent booster shots are available now around the metro.
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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