COVID cases are down in Kansas City. But experts warn new waves could be coming

COVID-19 cases are down in the Kansas City area this week, but experts warn that as the weather turns colder, new “waves” could be on the way.

“I think it’s very possible that we could see an uptick in cases and therefore hospitalizations,” said Dr. Catherine Satterwhite, regional health administrator with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “I definitely hope that people can keep a mask in their toolbox… that can provide you some really important protection.”

Satterwhite also encouraged Kansas Citians to take advantage of 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 1,225 new cases in the Kansas City area since last week. That’s lower than last week’s total of 1,554. That means the metro saw around 175 cases per day in the past week, down from around 222 per day the previous week.

“We are in a much better place with COVID, but we need to continue using the tools that are available to us,” Satterwhite told The Star.

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 and Wyandotte County reported none in the past week.

That brings the Kansas City metro area’s death total up to at least 4,361 since the pandemic began.

How are hospitals holding up?

The University of Kansas Health System is treating 32 patients with active COVID-19 infections, up from 26 at this time last week. Four of these patients are in the ICU, and two of them are on ventilators, down from six ICU patients and two on ventilators last week.

“We’re holding higher than we would like and would expect given the national accounted-for cases and hospitalizations,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System in a Friday news briefing. “The majority of these patients are unvaccinated or not up to date with their vaccination.”

He added that Kansas is seeing a slight increase in hospitalizations, but that it will take a bit longer to see the more-accurate 10 or 14 day trends in hospitalization numbers.

MARC hospitalization data is not available for this past week. 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 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 vaccinated is the Kansas City area?

Vaccination rates in the area are rising slowly, with 63.77% of the population fully vaccinated in the Kansas City region. Eastern Kansas has a higher vaccination rate, at 72.49%, than western Missouri does at 57.26%.

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.