TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Numbers of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Kansas continue climbing.
The Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment reported 3,006 new cases from Monday to Wednesday, along with 62 deaths and 98 hospitalizations. The number of COVID-positive adult patients statewide topped 700 Monday, which is the highest level since January.
Topeka’s hospitals remained on the higher end for patients count. University of Kansas Health System St. Francis campus was caring for 19 COVID-positive inpatients Wednesday. Stormont Vail had 55 COVID-positive inpatients, of which 85 percent were not vaccinated.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, echoed concerns about people who are not vaccinated. The Kansas City hospital has 54 COVID-positive inpatents Wednesday, which was down from 62 the day before.
“We’re all tired of COVID. But you’ve got to look in our nursing staff’s eyes, especially on the COVID units, and you’re going to see much more than you’re tired of COVID. You’re going to see a little bit of anger, a little bit of despair, and just a whole lot of, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening now?’ And that’s because, as a nation, we have failed to address this crisis in the way we should, and it is costing people their lives.” He said the front lines in the Emergency Department are “getting pummeled and stretched pretty thin,” he said.
KDHE’s report also shows the state had more than 70 percent of its ICU beds filled Wednesday. Of the total number of ICU patients, 22 percent were being treated for COVID.
Shawnee Co.’s numbers reflected the statewide trend. The Health Department’s dashboard showed 134 new cases Monday, with another 123 Tuesday. The 1,638 new cases so far in August is the most for a month since February, when the county saw 912. The month cases ever in a single month for the county was November 2020, with 3,760.
The Riley County Health Dept. reported 85 new cases over the past week. They also learned a 60-year-old woman from Riley Co. who was unvaccinated passed away July 30 at a Topeka hospital. Manhattan’s Ascension Via Christi Hospital currently has eight COVID-positive patients.
KDHE showed the state with 148 active clusters this week. Among them, 52 were in long-term care facilities, while 15 camps were associated with camps and three were in school. KDHE considered 21 clusters to be exposure locations (those with five or more cases in the prior 14 days). Three were in Topeka: KNI (21 cases), SLI (20 cases), and Plaza West (5). Also on the list was Dyamax, Inc in Wamego, with 19 cases.
The CDC’s community transmission map for Wednesday showed 99 of 105 Kansas counties at substantial or high levels.
Copyright 2021 WIBW. All rights reserved.