Last week, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment added an infant to the deaths connected to COVID-19.

According to an email from KDHE Director of Communications Kristi Zears, the individual passed away last November.

“The death certificate was finalized this (past) week, connecting the death to COVID-19, which is the reason the death recently appeared in our totals. Due to patient privacy laws, we are unable to provide further details about the individual,” Zears wrote.

This is the first reported COVID-19 death in an infant and the second in a child under 10 years old. In February, KDHE added the report of a 6-year-old child’s death related to COVID-19.

Children make up 24% of new COVID-19 cases

COVID-19 infections are declining but the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that children make up a growing share of new cases, according to USA Today. In March 2020, children accounted for only about 2% of new infections; by the end of May, children made up more than 24% of new infections.

Statewide data

In Kansas, there have been 318,515 COVID-19 cases from the beginning of the pandemic until Friday, July 2. These have resulted in 11,135 hospitalizations, 5,159 statewide deaths, and 17 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) cases associated with COVID-19.

Of the 11,135 hospitalizations, 107 have been children 0-9 years old (one of those in Barton County) and 82 have been 10-17 years old (zero in Barton County).

Of the deaths, two were 0-9 years old, none were 10-17 years old, and 12 were 18-24 years old.

Variants

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 now has multiple variants. By the end of June in Kansas, variants had been found in 67 counties, including Barton and all of its surrounding counties with the exception of Stafford County. Three Alpha variants and six Delta variants have been detected in Barton County.

Vaccination

As of July 1, 1,294,055 Kansans – 44.4% of the total population – had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 1,056,011 had received a second dose, meaning 39.0% of Kansans had completed the COVID-19 vaccine series.

In Barton County, 9,341 people have received at least one dose and 8,639 have completed the vaccine series.

The vaccination rates for area counties for people 12 years of age and older are shown for one dose and then for the full series:

• Barton 42.84%/ 39.62%

• Ellsworth 52.37%/ 47.70%

• Pawnee 48.08%/ 46.67%

• Rice 41.67%/ 38.55%

• Rush 46.92%/ 43.32%

• Russell 42.78%/ 39.16%

• Stafford 41.65%/ 39.65%