COVID hospitalizations and case numbers rise slightly but stay low in Kansas City
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 rose slightly across the metro area in the past two weeks, local data shows. Case numbers also rose slightly.
“COVID numbers are unfortunately holding steady and really not decreasing too much,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System in a Wednesday news briefing.
“(Patient numbers) are probably the best measure of actual circulation of the virus out in the community, because we know that testing and case rates that are reported are probably not as accurate.”
Here’s the latest COVID-19 data in the Kansas City area.
What does Kansas City’s COVID-19 data look like this week?
Local health departments reported 1,048 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, up from 975 during our last update on Wednesday, Feb. 8. That brings the metro’s seven-day average up to around 150 new cases per day, compared to around 139 per day during our last report.
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.
Neither Kansas nor Missouri are reporting deaths at the county level. You can check the statewide COVID-19 death totals for Missouri here and for Kansas here.
How are hospitals holding up?
The University of Kansas Health System is treating 26 patients with active COVID-19 infections, the same number as during our last update on Feb. 8. Five patients are in the ICU with three on ventilators, compared to four ICU patients and two on ventilators last time we checked in.
“Overall, we’ve had a higher proportion in the ICU than we’ve seen recently,” Hawkinson said.
MARC hospitalization data shows an average of 21 new hospitalizations per day in the Kansas City area as of Monday, up from 17 per day during our last update.
What are the COVID-19 risk levels in the Kansas City area?
Clay, Platte and Jackson counties fell to a “low” community level of COVID-19 this week, joining Johnson County. This classification means that medical care is readily available in the county for COVID-19.
Wyandotte County remained at a “medium” community level. This classification means that 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.
Clay, Platte, Jackson and Johnson counties remained at a “high” transmission level of COVID-19 in the past week, while Wyandotte County dropped to a “moderate” transmission level. Both of these rankings mean that your risk of catching COVID-19 in public is elevated due to the spread of the virus.
How vaccinated is the Kansas City area?
Here are the vaccination rates in the counties that make up the metro, according to CDC data. These numbers show the percentage of people who have completed a primary dose of COVID-19 vaccines.
- Jackson: 60.9%
- Johnson: 82.7%
- Wyandotte: 62%
- Clay: 56.9%
- Platte: 60.3%
Here are the percentages of residents in local counties who have received a bivalent booster.
- Jackson: 14.8%
- Johnson: 23.4%
- Wyandotte: 13.2%
- Clay: 15.4%
- Platte: 17.5%
What do I need to know about vaccines?
Part of Kansas City’s defense against the most active COVID-19 variants are the new bivalent booster shots, which are available at clinics around the metro. These boosters offer protection from both the original COVID-19 and several strains of the omicron variant.
“Even though we want (COVID-19) to go away, it’s still here,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System. “It may not be what it was, but it’s still a threat. The best way to keep yourself safe is vaccination.”
The vaccine is also thought to be effective against the new XBB lineage. According to 17 researchers who wrote in to the New England Journal of Medicine on Dec. 21, “Persons who received the BA.5-containing bivalent booster had better neutralizing activity against all omicron subvariants (especially against BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB) than those who received either one or two monovalent boosters.”
While this new variant is somewhat more evasive to antibodies than prior variants have been, the bivalent booster shot is still thought to provide some protection from the XBB strain.
Anyone who has received an initial COVID-19 vaccination, including children as young as five years old, can get one of these new shots. The shots, which became available last fall, can be found at local health departments, clinics and pharmacies around the metro.
These single-dose shots are only meant to be taken once.
Do you have more questions about staying safe from COVID-19 in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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