Sedgwick County coronavirus cases up to 16, three more since this morning
The number of COVID-19 cases in Sedgwick County has risen to 16 total, adding another three in the past two hours, KDHE officials reported Thursday.
The state’s count was released at 1 p.m. on Thursday, two hours after Sedgwick County officials reported that the county had 13 cases as of this morning. It marks the third day in a row that the number of testing-confirmed local cases has risen by three in the county’s daily report only to then jump when the state reports its count.
Sedgwick County’s first positive case was reported last Thursday.
Since then, the number of cases continues to grow as more tests are sent to private laboratories instead of the state. Kansas has 168 positive cases, and 111 of those results have come from private labs, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The state has cut back on testing and limited who they will test to only the most severe cases and targeted vulnerable populations such as people living in nursing homes or first-responders.
Testing at the county’s Health Department has been stepped up slightly since a week ago, when officials announced they had tested a total of seven people.
On Wednesday, 16 people had samples collected after showing signs of viral infection that met Kansas Department of Health and Environment criteria for testing.
On Thursday, 13 people had scheduled appointments to have samples drawn.
In the county’s daily report on COVID-19, County Manager Tom Stolz emphasized that its Health Department testing is being done by appointment only.
And, due to supply shortages, tests are only being run on those who meet the KDHE criteria, which the county has no authority to change.
“KDHE is driving the bus on this,” he said.
The lack of testing supplies has hampered the county in its efforts to evaluate the spread of the virus. The number of cases confirmed by testing is believed to represent only a fraction of the actual cases of the virus spreading through Wichita.
Hospital officials told County Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner three days ago that they suspected the number of local cases could actually be as many as 1,000.
The county remains under the terms of a stay-at-home order issued Tuesday.
Currently, those meeting the criteria to be tested are:
▪ Healthcare workers and first responders who have COVID-19 symptoms.
▪ Potential clusters of unknown respiratory illness, with priority given to long-term care facilities and healthcare facilities.
▪ Hospitalized patients with no alternative diagnosis.
▪ Individuals over the age of 60 who have symptoms of COVID-19 with priority given to people who reside in a nursing home, long-term care facility, or other congregate setting.
▪ Individuals with underlying health conditions that would be treated differently if they were infected with COVID-19.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 12:25 PM.
