COVID-19 is on the rise again in Kansas City. What to know about vaccines, patient count

Natalie Wallington
·3 min read
2

COVID-19 infections are on the rise again in Kansas City as winter weather takes hold and vaccination rates stagnate.

Missouri hospitalizations for COVID-19 are the highest they have been since January, with 621 new patients admitted across the state in the last week of November, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In Kansas, weekly hospitalizations for COVID-19 have surpassed 200 during five of the past six weeks — numbers not previously seen since early March of this year.

“COVID-19 activity has continued to increase, especially in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions,” the CDC wrote in a respiratory illness summary on Friday, Dec. 8. Here’s a closer look at what that activity looks like in the Kansas City area.

This graph shows the number of new weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations in Missouri reported to the CDC. The week ending in Dec. 2 saw the highest number of new patients since early January of 2023.
This graph shows the number of new weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations in Missouri reported to the CDC. The week ending in Dec. 2 saw the highest number of new patients since early January of 2023.

How prevalent is COVID-19 in the Kansas City area?

New COVID-19 hospitalizations climbed by 10% or more in all five counties that make up the Kansas City metro area between the last week of November and the week before, CDC data shows. Jackson County saw 125 new hospitalizations during the week ending Dec. 2, while Johnson County saw 61 and Wyandotte County saw 35.

At the University of Kansas Health System, 33 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, with seven in the ICU as of Monday morning — a sharp increase from Friday’s count of 19 patients total.

“There has been an uptick, unfortunately,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, the hospital’s medical director of infection prevention and control, in a news briefing Monday morning. “The last time we had numbers like this for active COVID patients in the hospital was in March.”

While widespread COVID-19 test positivity data is difficult to obtain due to home testing, the national CDC region, which includes Kansas and Missouri, is seeing the highest positivity rates in the nation on highly sensitive tests called NAATs.

Out of around 6,500 NAATs reported in the region in the last week of November, 16.7% were positive.

This map shows the percent positivity rate of highly sensitive COVID-19 tests called NAATs in each of the ten regions overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The region in orange, which includes Kansas and Missouri, had a 16.7% positivity rate during the week ending in Dec. 2, 2023.
This map shows the percent positivity rate of highly sensitive COVID-19 tests called NAATs in each of the ten regions overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The region in orange, which includes Kansas and Missouri, had a 16.7% positivity rate during the week ending in Dec. 2, 2023.

How can I stay safe from COVID-19 this winter?

Experts recommend vaccination as one of the best ways to stay safe from COVID-19. A new booster shot recently rolled out in the metro and is available at many local pharmacies, health departments and other medical facilities.

New research from Columbia University suggests that this booster isn’t just effective against the strains it was designed to fight — it can also protect you against newer strains of the virus.

“Your body does develop antibodies to the new variants,” Hawkinson said. “Even though that COVID vaccine is only (geared) towards one of the subvariants, your body is able to react and develop antibodies, even to variants we haven’t even seen.”

But despite its effectiveness, CDC data shows that only around 17% of U.S. adults and less than 8% of U.S. children have received the new booster as of Saturday, Dec. 2.

By contrast, nearly 41% of U.S. adults have gotten a flu shot this winter so far. The CDC recommends getting your flu shot and the new COVID-19 booster at the same time as a safe and effective way to protect against both diseases.

You can find vaccination locations near you at vaccines.gov.

The federal government is also offering free at-home COVID-19 tests to all households. Those who haven’t ordered tests since the program relaunched in September are eligible for up to two orders of four tests each. Go to covidtests.gov to order yours with free shipping through the U.S. Postal Service.

Do you have more questions about staying safe from COVID-19 in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.