Kansas adds 1,282 cases and 3 new deaths from COVID; Sedgwick Co. passes 6,000 cases

Kansas public health officials reported more than 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus disease statewide over the weekend as Sedgwick County surpassed 6,000 total cases of COVID-19.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 1,292 new cases and three new deaths attributed to COVID-19 on Monday. The increases are since Friday’s report. There have now been a total of 35,167 cases and 405 deaths reported in the state.

The KDHE reported an increase of 384 cases in Sedgwick County, bringing the county total to 6,102 cases.

The Sedgwick County Health Department reported 5,405 confirmed cases on Monday.

Discrepancies in the Sedgwick County case totals between the state and local health departments can be due to a delay in reporting between the agencies. Additionally, local officials only report COVID-19 cases confirmed through a nasopharyngeal test, while the KDHE case report includes confirmed and probable cases.

The county’s total was an increase of 48 cases from Sunday. No new deaths were reported, keeping the local tally at 47. Active cases dropped by 35 to 2,743 as recoveries increased by 83 to 2,615.

Of the 48 new cases, one was a close contact of another confirmed case. The rest are still under investigation for the source of exposure. New cases by age group was not immediately available Monday afternoon.

There have been 66,785 people in Sedgwick County tested for COVID-19, which was an increase of 577. The positive test percentage spiked on Sunday, which is the most recent data available.

The local positive rate hit 11.37%, which was up from 10.08% on Saturday. The rolling 14-day average had been hovering between 10% and 11% since Aug. 5.

Statewide, there have been 319,095 negative tests, which was an increase of 9,937 over the weekend. Kansas has a testing rate of about 121.6 people per 1,000 population. The population testing rate in Sedgwick County is about 113.7 per 1,000 people, the KDHE reports.

Of the three new deaths in Kansas, the KDHE data shows all three deceased COVID-19 patients were men. Two were white and one was Black. They were from the 45-54, 55-64 and the 85 and older age groups.

Hospitalization numbers

The Sedgwick County Health Department reports updated coronavirus pandemic hospitalizations on Mondays.

As of 11 a.m., there were 63 COVID-19 patients at Wesley Healthcare and Ascension Via Christi medical facilities in Wichita. That number was a decrease of one from last Monday.

Thirty-two of those patients were in intensive care units, which is an increase of four from last Monday.

The area hospital status assessment remained “moderate.” County officials have not defined that term.

The KDHE reported that there were 14 more hospitalizations over the weekend, bringing the state’s cumulative total to 2,034.

The age breakdown of the 14 new hospital patients was three in the 25-34 age group, four in the 35-44 age group, one in the 45-54 age group, two in the 55-64 age group, three in the 65-74 age group and one in the 75-84 age group.

Out of the 2,034 total COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide, there have been 560 patients admitted into intensive care units. That was an increase of six over the weekend. There have been 200 patients who have been placed on ventilators, which is an increase of two. There have been at least 1,409 discharges, which is up 10.

In Sedgwick County, there have been 264 total hospitalizations, the KDHE reports. That number is up three from Friday. There have been 51 ICU admissions, which is up one. The 14 total patients on ventilators had no increase. There were two more discharges reported, increasing the total to 152.

The three new local patients came from the 35-44, 55-64 and 65-74 age groups.

In addition to the cumulative hospital numbers, the KDHE also reports daily hospital capacity numbers. The source of the KDHE data is a national database that hospitals report their numbers to. The most recent data may not be complete.

As of Sunday, the most recent day with available data, there were 229 total COVID-19 patients admitted in Kansas hospitals. That number was up 19 from Saturday. There were 62 COVID-19 patients in the ICU, which was up five. There were about 49% of the 701 total ICU beds available.

In the south-central Kansas region, the state reported 46 total COVID-19 patients on Sunday, which was down three. The ICUs held 22 COVID-19 patients, which was up one.

Kansas coronavirus clusters

There are 429 clusters in Kansas, 143 of which are active, the KDHE reported. That is an increase of 13 total clusters and 23 active clusters.

The 429 mass outbreaks account for 8,531 cases, 549 hospitalizations and 264 deaths. There was an increase of six deaths attributed to the mass outbreaks. Five of those were at nursing homes and one was at a private business.

There were seven new nursing home clusters, which is the deadliest outbreak category, with more than half of all deaths in the state. The 116 outbreaks at long-term care facilities are responsible for 1,564 cases, 287 hospitalizations and 209 deaths.

There are more private businesses with outbreaks than any other category. The three new business clusters bring the total to 152 clusters with 1,132 cases, 69 hospitalizations and eight deaths.

One more cluster was reported at a health care facility. There have now been 21 outbreaks in that category with 186 cases, 10 hospitalizations and two deaths.

The gatherings category has five subgroups. The private event group has two more clusters, putting its totals at 37 outbreaks, 277 cases, 22 hospitalizations and five deaths. There were also two more clusters at religious gatherings, putting its totals at 17 outbreaks, 186 cases, 51 hospitalizations and 12 deaths.

Gatherings at camps account for two clusters with 31 cases while gatherings at festivals account for two clusters with 16 cases. The bar or restaurant category has 10 outbreaks with 244 cases and three hospitalizations.

The KDHE reduced its cluster count for daycares and schools by two. There are 14 outbreaks in that category with 85 cases.

The correctional facility category has 13 clusters with 1,239 cases, 17 hospitalizations and six deaths. The group home category has 20 clusters with 198 cases, 16 hospitalizations and five deaths. Meatpacking plants have 16 clusters with 3,306 cases, 104 hospitalizations and 17 deaths. The nine sporting event clusters have 67 cases.

County COVID-19 comparisons

Sedgwick County had the biggest increase of all Kansas counties in actual cases with 384. While Sedgwick County has about 18% of the state’s population, its new cases were about 30% of the statewide increase.

Kansas added 1,282 new cases, which was a percent change of 3.8%.

Out of the 30 counties with at least 100 cases of COVID-19, there were 17 with percent increases greater than the state as a whole. Reno County had the biggest percent increase at 14.1%. In the Wichita area, Butler, Cowley, Harvey, Reno and Sedgwick counties all had percent changes greater than the Kansas increase.

The 30 counties with at least 100 cases of COVID-19 are:

• Johnson County has 6,615 cases, which is an increase of 258 cases or 4.1%.
• Sedgwick County has 6,102 cases, which is an increase of 384 cases or 6.7%.
• Wyandotte County has 5,451 cases, which is an increase of 122 cases or 2.3%.
• Ford County has 2,219 cases, which is an increase of 13 cases or 0.6%.
• Shawnee County has 1,787 cases, which is an increase of 67 cases or 3.9%.
• Finney County has 1,742 cases, which is an increase of 12 cases or 0.7%.
• Leavenworth County has 1,576 cases, which is an increase of 27 cases or 1.7%.
• Seward County has 1,192 cases, which is an increase of three cases or 0.3%.
• Douglas County has 834 cases, which is an increase of 29 cases or 3.6%.
• Lyon County has 734 cases, which is an increase of 31 cases or 4.4%.
• Reno County has 477 cases, which is an increase of 59 cases or 14.1%.
• Riley County has 455 cases, which is an increase of four cases or 0.9%.
• Crawford County has 418 cases, which is an increase of three cases or 0.7%.
• Saline County has 397 cases, which is an increase of 12 cases or 3.1%.
• Butler County has 351 cases, which is an increase of 18 cases or 5.4%.
• Harvey County has 246 cases, which is an increase of 22 cases or 9.8%.
• Franklin County has 237 cases, which is an increase of 15 cases or 6.8%.
• Geary County has 228 cases, which is an increase of five cases or 2.2%.
• Cowley County has 198 cases, which is an increase of 16 cases or 8.8%.
• Montgomery County has 181 cases, which is an increase of 13 cases or 7.7%.
• McPherson County has 171 cases, which is an increase of seven cases or 4.3%.
• Cherokee County has 170 cases, which is an increase of 13 cases or 7.6%.
• Barton County has 165 cases, which is an increase of 16 cases or 10.7%.
• Jackson County has 164 cases, which is no change.
• Ellis County has 161 cases, which is an increase of eight cases or 5.2%.
• Miami County has 160 cases, which is an increase of eight cases or 5.3%.
• Labette County has 159 cases, which is an increase of six cases or 3.9%.
• Pottawatomie County has 121 cases, which is an increase of two cases or 1.7%.
• Grant County has 112 cases, which is an increase of 10 cases or 9.8%.
• Sumner County has 107 cases, which is an increase of three cases or 2.9%.

This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 12:28 PM.