Three Kansas City counties drop to low COVID community levels. Transmission still high

COVID-19 cases continued to fall in the Kansas City area this week as the CDC downgraded Jackson, Clay and Platte Counties to “low” community levels of the virus. This ranking indicates that these communities are well prepared to treat COVID-19 patients who need medical care.

All counties in the metro remain at “high” transmission levels, meaning that your risk of catching the virus in public is still elevated.

“Unfortunately we know that viral circulation, although decreasing, is still fairly prominent out there in the community,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System in a Friday news briefing.

While the omicron subvariants BA.2.75 and BA.4.6 are starting to become more prominent nationwide, Hawkinson added that our currently existing vaccines and antibody treatments are proving effective against them so far. The World Health Organization is monitoring both these strains, but hasn’t classified either as a Variant of Concern.

Part of our defense against recent 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 1,057 new cases in the Kansas City area since last week. That’s lower than last week’s total of 1,225 new cases. That means the metro saw around 151 cases per day in the past week, down from around 175 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 23 new deaths this past week due to an internal data audit, and Wyandotte County reported none. That brings the Kansas City metro area’s death total up to at least 4,384 since the pandemic began.

How are hospitals holding up?

The University of Kansas Health System is treating 29 patients with active COVID-19 infections, down from 32 at this time last week. Five of these patients are in the ICU, and three of them are on ventilators, up from four ICU patients and two on ventilators last week.

“We were really hoping to get down into single digits, but it just isn’t happening yet,” Hawkinson said. “I think it’s going to be important to see what happens through the weekend and next week.”

MARC hospitalization data shows that the greater Kansas City area is now seeing an average of 59 new hospitalizations per day, down from 68 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 all dropped to a “low” community level of COVID-19 since last week, joining Johnson County. 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 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 63.9% of the population fully vaccinated in the Kansas City region. Eastern Kansas has a higher vaccination rate, at 72.68%, than western Missouri does at 57.36%.

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.