This week COVID-19 clusters were reported in area correctional facilities, health-care facilities, long-term care facilities and schools throughout the Golden Belt.
Every Wednesday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment publishes the names of locations that have five or more COVID-19 cases with symptom onset dates in the last 14 days. These are not all of the active clusters; for example, 33 schools were identified Wednesday but KDHE reported there are 53 active clusters in schools, representing 998 cases statewide. The 96 long-term care facilities identified were a fraction of the 199 LTC facilities with active clusters. Those account for 3,409 cases statewide.
Child deaths and MIS-C
KDHE has reported two child deaths linked in COVID-19 in recent days. On Jan. 19, KDHE reported a death in the 0-to-9-year-old age group and on Monday a death was reported in the 10-to-17-year-old age group. That brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths for ages 0 to 17 years to eight (four for 0 to 9 years and four for 10-17 years). KDHE does not release the patients’ genders, locations, exact ages, or the date of their deaths.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) can affect children (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A). This week KDHE reported two new MIS-C cases, bringing the total to date to 22. MIS is a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19 in which different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
Area Clusters
• Ellsworth Correctional Facility has had 15 cases in the last 14 days and the last onset date was Jan. 21.
• Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility has had 32 cases and the last onset date was Jan. 24.
• Larned State Hospital has had 13 cases and the last onset date was Jan. 22.
• Rush County Memorial Hospital’s ISB (Intermediate Swing Bed) Unit in La Crosse has had eight cases and the last onset date was Jan. 15.
• Russell Regional Hospital has had eight cases and the last onset date was Jan. 25.
• Wheatland Nursing Center in Russell has had seven cases and the last onset date was Jan. 21.
• “La Crosse #395 School” (sic) has had 24 cases and the last onset was Jan. 23.
Statewide
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Kansas has had 709,838 COVID-19 cases over the course of the pandemic, resulting in 18,079 hospitalizations and 7,388 statewide deaths. There were 14,163 new cases, 141 new hospitalizations and 52 new deaths reported since Monday, Jan. 24.
Area cases
Here are the area case totals as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, with any change since Monday.
• Barton 5,935 (+99)
• Ellsworth 1,897 (+24)
• Pawnee 1,929 (+31)
• Rice 2,402 (+28)
• Rush 754 (+10)
• Russell 1,786 (+34)
• Stafford 1,060 (+12)
Area deaths
Here are the death totals for area counties as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, with any change since Monday:
• Barton 76 (+1)
• Ellsworth 30
• Pawnee 21
• Rice 17
• Rush 17
• Russell 34
• Stafford 26 (+1)
Hospitalizations
The Great Bend Tribune also reports on COVID-19-related hospitalizations in Barton, Pawnee and Stafford counties.
• As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Barton County has reported 167 hospitalizations attributed to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic, including 31 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions to date, and 111 discharged patients reported to KDHE. These numbers reflect an increase of two hospitalizations and one discharged patients since Monday. The median age of COVID-19 patients admitted this month is 86.
• Pawnee County has reported 73 hospital admissions, 15 ICU admissions and 48 discharged patients to date. This reflects an increase of one admission since Monday. The median age of COVID-19 patients admitted this month is 93.
• Stafford County has reported 36 hospital admissions, 15 ICU admissions and 23 discharged patients to date. Admission numbers have not changed since Jan. 5, but the total number of discharged patients reported to KDHE increased by three.
