The average number of COVID-19 cases per day reported over a 7-day period in Kansas City has surpassed 400 For the first time since February. This reported number is likely far lower than the actual case count, as home testing has made new infections harder for states to track.
Despite fluctuating case numbers in recent weeks, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are also up around the metro. Here’s the latest pandemic data in Kansas City.
What does Kansas City’s COVID-19 data look like this week?
Officials reported a total of 2,859 new cases in the Kansas City area over the past week. That’s higher than last week’s total of 2,550 new cases. This past week saw an average of around 408 cases per day in the metro area, while the previous week’s average was 364 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 recently 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 nine deaths in the last week, while Wyandotte County reported none. That brings the Kansas City metro area’s death total up to at least 4,336 since the pandemic began.
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.
Jackson County is still experiencing a “high” community level, while Clay and Platte Counties remain at “medium” risk. Johnson and Wyandotte counties currently have “low” community levels, but the Kansas counties surrounding them—Miami, Douglas and Leavenworth—are all up to “medium.”
All five counties that make up the Kansas City metro area remain at “high” transmission levels. This means that your risk of catching COVID-19 is elevated throughout the metro, while access to medical care is beginning to feel the strain of the latest wave.
How are hospitals holding up?
The University of Kansas Health System is treating 25 patients with active COVID-19 infections, up from 24 at this time last week. Two of these patients are in the ICU, and both are on ventilators.
“The numbers are higher than they’ve been in the past couple of months,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, the hospital’s medical director of infection prevention and control in a news briefing Friday. “Unfortunately, the active infections still are higher than we would like. Hopefully we can start to see that plateau and then that decrease overall.”
How vaccinated is the Kansas City area?
Vaccination rates in the area are rising slowly, with 62.74% of the population fully vaccinated in the Kansas City region. Eastern Kansas has a higher vaccination rate, at 71.19%, than western Missouri does at 56.44%.
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.
-------
