New data show Thanksgiving COVID surge in Sedgwick County KS
CORRECTION: Based on faulty information from Sedgwick County, an earlier version of this story said the week after Thanksgiving was the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, which was incorrect. The story has been updated to reflect the county’s corrected numbers.
New data from the Sedgwick County Health Department shows a surge in cases the week after Thanksgiving. This increase was preceded by a week of improvement and followed by two weeks of improvement.
Both the rate of new cases and the positive test rate — two key indicators used to measure the spread of COVID-19 in the Wichita area community — spiked in the days following Thanksgiving.
The health department’s recovery metrics report shows a 22% jump in the case rate and a 9% increase in the positive test rate
Sedgwick County Health Director Adrienne Byrne has said the case rate and positive test rate are the two most important indicators on the report.
The indicators are two of five established by the Kansas State Department of Education as criteria for closing and reopening schools during the pandemic. The positive test rate is also used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to establish mandatory testing of nursing home staff.
In the weeks leading up to the holiday, the White House coronavirus task force warned Kansans that “current transmissions are linked to home gatherings.” Following the holiday, the task force told Kansans “you need to assume you became infected during the Thanksgiving period if you gathered beyond your immediate household.”
The most recent report to Kansas from the White House coronavirus task force, dated Dec. 13, said “the fall surge is merging with the post-Thanksgiving surge to create a winter surge.” It instructed health officials to “warn about any gathering during December holidays.”
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 4:40 PM with the headline "New data show Thanksgiving COVID surge in Sedgwick County KS."