Kansas nursing homes had 105 coronavirus deaths last week as active cluster count drops
Kansas public health officials reported more than 100 new deaths from COVID-19 at nursing homes in the last week as the number of active clusters declined.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment in its weekly cluster update on Wednesday reported 21 new clusters at nursing homes over the past week. The new and existing clusters accounted for 105 new deaths recorded in the same time span.
Kansas has had 590 total outbreaks at long-term care facilities, accounting for 12,561 cases, 1,010 hospitalizations and 1,408 deaths.
There are 22 fewer active outbreaks at long-term care facilities now than there was last week, the KDHE reported. The health department’s list identified only 36 of the 190 active clusters.
Five of the named facilities are in Wichita: Family Health and Rehab, Kansas Masonic Home, Orchard Gardens, Wichita Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, and Wichita Presbyterian Manor.
The state is still in Phase 1 of its vaccine roll-out, which includes nursing home residents and staff, as well as health care workers.
“Vaccines will literally be a lifesaver for thousands of residents and expedite the reopening of long term care facilities to family members and loved ones,” the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living said Tuesday in a statement
“Vaccinating the millions of vulnerable seniors and frontline workers in long term care facilities is a significant undertaking that requires many moving pieces. While the desire for a swift rollout is understandable, AHCA/NCAL has urged a thoughtful and targeted approach.”
The KDHE has recorded 252,041 confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus disease since the pandemic started. About 1.3% of those cases have ended in death, and nursing home clusters account for about 42% of the 3,355 total deaths from COVID-19.
“It’s obviously led to a lot of premature deaths,” Dr. Garold Minns, the Sedgwick County health officer, said during a virtual town hall meeting last week. “Even the people who have survived it have had lingering side-effects, whether it’s mental fogginess or in some cases cardiac damage. We’re still learning about all the long-term effects of this, even from the people who recovered from the initial illness.”
About 3% of the diagnosed patients have required hospitalization. There have been 7,540 total patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with 2,027 of those spending time in intensive care units.
Over the last two days, there were 4,539 new cases, 100 new deaths, 189 new hospitalizations and 46 new ICU admissions in Kansas. In Sedgwick County, the KDHE reported 733 new cases, seven new deaths, 17 new hospital and four new ICU admissions between Monday and Wednesday.
Sedgwick County has had 45,337 total cases, 470 deaths, 994 hospitalizations and 264 ICU admissions.
The Sedgwick County Health Department’s latest metrics report, released Tuesday, shows the rate of new cases and the positive test rate have climbed in the two weeks since Christmas.
“The patients just keep coming in,” Dr. Maggie Hagan, an infectious disease specialist at Ascension Via Christi, said during the town hall meeting. “We think we have a little lull, we maybe have fewer cases one week versus the prior week, and then suddenly we see another surge.
“Unfortunately, despite everything we’ve talked about — mask wearing, social distancing, closing business, avoiding big gatherings — none of that has really seemed to impact the numbers like we would like to see. So really the only thing I see as the way out of this is the vaccine.”
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 1:40 PM.