Is everyone ill? What to know about the spread of flu, COVID-19 in Wichita, across Kansas

Respiratory illness cases in Sedgwick County are steadily increasing leading up to the Christmas holiday.

Adrienne Byrne, director of the Sedgwick County Health Department, said this is expected.

“We’re pretty much with the flu season, you know, where we have been,” Byrne said. “So it really seems to be similar to previous seasons.”

Flu cases in Kansas are not reported publicly unless they result in a pediatric death, the health department official said. Instead, the county monitors the virus by the number of emergency department visits.

According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 16% of county emergency department visits from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 were due to acute respiratory viruses. The same dashboard reports 0.2% of visits were due to influenza, while 1.6% were due to COVID-19.

“We’ve been hearing the last couple months there’s a slow uptick in respiratory viruses and cases here in Sedgwick County, and we have been seeing more demand for particularly COVID and flu vaccine in our clinic,” Byrne said. “So it has been increasing, but we’re still at this time considered to be low risk.”

Last year’s flu season was the worst the county had seen in years, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labeling Kansas in the “very high” range of influenza infections last December. In comparison, the state right now is considered to have “minimal” influenza spread.

This September, the area saw a bump in respiratory illnesses following the start of the new school year, with COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus cases contributing, along with a bump in strep, according to health officials.

According to the KDHE, the state has seen four deaths directly caused by influenza so far this flu season. For the 2022-23 flu season, Kansas reported 96 deaths, according to that same data. KDHE reports these deaths from death certificate data, and these individuals can be any age.

Along with the flu, Byrne also expects to see an uptick in COVID-19 cases this time of year. She said this is usually directly tied to the holiday season.

“Then there’s ... Christmas, then New Year’s Eve, more people are inside. More people are around family and friends, so we expect for the numbers to continue to increase,” Byrne said.

Can you still get your flu and COVID-19 shot in Wichita?

Byrne said while it’s best to get the flu shot in October before flu season starts up, it’s not too late.

“Because the flu season kind of varies per year, but it can go into March,” Byrne said.

In a previous interview with The Eagle, the health department recommended to first contact your pharmacy doctor or your primary care physician for the shot. You can also use vaccine.gov’s flu shot locator to see where you can get the flu shot near you.

Flu and the latest COVID-19 vaccine are widely available at commercial pharmacies, as well.

The county also provides shots for uninsured children and adults, as well as those with Medicaid, Aetna Better Health, UnitedHealthcare or Sunflower. The health department administers these shots at the clinic located at 2716 W. Central.

You can get your flu shot the same time as your COVID vaccine, and the both are covered by most insurance.

Byrne also recommends to have a supply of at-home COVID tests during the holiday season just in case. The federal government recently reopened its program to mail free tests directly to you home. You can place an order online at covid.gov.