Month: March 2020

COVID-19 cases in Kansas top 200

Statewide COVID-19 cases in Kansas increased to a total 202 on Friday morning. (KDHE graphic)

Wyandotte County cases increase to 43

COVID-19 cases in Kansas have increased to 202 on Friday morning, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE secretary, said in a news conference on Friday that Kansas is beginning to see COVID-19 spread to more counties throughout the state.

Wyandotte County was reported at 43 cases Friday morning, compared to 34 cases reported Thursday morning, an increase of 13 cases. The total increased to 46 by Friday evening, according to the UG’s website.

The third COVID-19 related death in Wyandotte County was reported Thursday evening.

Johnson County reported 66 cases on Friday morning, as compared to 59 cases on Thursday morning, according to KDHE statistics.

Sedgwick County, including the Wichita area, reported 20 cases Friday morning, while Douglas County, including the Lawrence area, reported 14 cases. Leavenworth County reported 12 cases. Shawnee County had 5 cases.

As expected, the population centers, Johnson, Wyandotte, Douglas and Sedgwick counties, have had the most cases at this point, Dr. Norman said. But it is spreading out now, even into western Kansas, he added.

He said he was hopeful that the peak would be reached by mid-April, perhaps by April 24.

He said residents need to stay home and maintain social distancing. If they do that, then perhaps the coronavirus will peak in mid-April.

“Vigilance needs to remain high,” he said.

He said he saw some residents washing their cars at a car wash in Shawnee County, and that was not a necessary function.

“This is not about gaming the system and playing with the words to skate around the exemptions,” he said. “It’s about staying home and staying out of harm’s way.”

Currently Kansas is not doubling every three ofr four days, which is encouraging, according to Dr. Norman. He would not be surprised if the state had 900 to 1,000 patients eventually. It would be a higher number if the residents do not follow the guidance of staying home and social distancing.

He said some have indicated the changing of the seasons and warmer weather also could contribute to a fall in the disease rate, however, it could be back in the fall.

The state’s lab is getting more equipment this weekend to allow to to test more, he said. Friday’s results showed 135 private lab positive tests and 67 state lab positive tests.

The state lab now is able to handle about 175 specimens a day, he said.

There are efforts underway for more testing in different locations, he said.

KDHE also receive two semis full of protective equipment from the national stockpile and will be able to fill requests from 25 counties for more equipment, he added. The state will soon tap out its entire allotment, and will be looking for ways to get more supplies in the future, including possibly companies that would manufacture it.

At another news teleconference on Friday, doctors at the University of Kansas Health System emphasized the importance of staying home, and they also talked about increasing telehealth visits with patients.

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said that Chinese medical professionals have reported that those health care workers who used proper personal protective equipment did not catch COVID-19. He said that was important to know as local health officials now believe they are on the ascending side of the curve in the Kansas City area.

If the Kansas City area has a 5 to 20 percent surge in cases, then they will be well prepared, he said.

“New York got stretched because they had so many people hit so fast,” he said.

The difference in activity rate accounts for some of the larger numbers of New York cases, Dr. Stites believes.

“It’s all about staying at home,” Dr. Stites said. “If people will stay at home,” he said. “then you will flatten the curve and have enough personal protective equipment. If we don’t, we’re all going to suffer the consequences of that.”

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, said there are 18 positive COVID-19 patients currently at the hospital, including 10 in the intensive care unit, and six are incubated.

He said they are stressing training and good hand hygiene. Proper hand hygiene and keeping hands away from the face continue to be effective ways to stop the spread of the disease.

Dr. Keith Sale, vice president of ambulatory services at KU Health System, said the health system is ramping up telemedicine to serve outpatients. They will be able to stay at home and stay safe while still receiving medical advice through video conferences or through other means such as the telephone.

To view the KDHE news conference, with more detailed information, visit https://www.facebook.com/KDHEnews/videos/2275555782749312/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAexWkbKtwNSgaPu6y0kGFJfA_6ZdhYQPNMKazXT1zvdTDfeNkEAgsUTN11dggTyP202Pq-p_Q969Mi.

To view the KU Health System news conference video, with more detailed information, visit  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqippHdA0zA&feature=youtu.be.

The Kansas COVID-19 website is at
https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.


The UG’s COVID-19 response website is at
https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.


COVID-19 information from the CDC is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

COVID-19 cases by county in Kansas on March 27. (KDHE chart)

Injury-accident reported on I-635

An injury-accident was reported at 3:40 p.m. Thursday, March 26, on southbound I-635 near Parallel Parkway, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

A Toyota Camry was southbound on I-635 in Kansas City, Kansas, when it struck the side of a Ford F-250, according to the trooper’s report.

The Camry then struck a Jeep Wrangler on the driver’s side. The Camry came to rest at the inside median, according to the report.

The driver of the Camry, a 39-year-old man from Olathe, Kansas, had a possible minor injury and was taken to a hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the trooper’s report.

The driver of the Jeep Wrangler, a 59-year-old Weatherby Lake, Missouri, resident, also had a possible minor injury and was not taken to the hospital, the report stated.

The driver of the Ford F-250, a 35-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, resident, had no apparent injury, the report stated.

Senators support economic relief package

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, said two of his key priorities, purchasing medications through health savings accounts and the zoonotic animal drug designation, were included in the economic relief package passed by the Senate on Thursday.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said many of his priorities, including resources for Small Business Administration loans and support for health care providers, also were in the package.

The U.S. Senate passed the CARES Act on a 96-0 vote on Thursday. The bill, estimated at $2 trillion, then was approved by the U.S. House on Friday.

The bill provided direct assistance to individual Americans, an expansion of unemployment benefits and many assistance programs for various segments of the economy.

A statement from Sen. Roberts:


“The CARES Act provides one of the most powerful and timely economic relief packages in our nation’s history. Responding to the challenge of the novel coronavirus will require a collective effort from our entire nation. The bill that passed the Senate today represents ideas from both sides of the political aisle but with a shared purpose: to deliver a necessary financial bridge to American households, workers, and businesses through the economic shock from COVID-19.

“The comprehensive relief package provides emergency checks to individuals and families; cash flow assistance to protect workers and small businesses; significantly expanded unemployment benefits and availability; financial assistance to severely distressed industries of the national economy; and increased funding for hospitals and healthcare providers.

“The legislation includes S. 1089, the Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2019 and the Priority Zoonotic Animal Drug designation, Senator Roberts’ zoonotic animal drug priority.

“I’m glad to see two of my key priorities included in the coronavirus legislation. The Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2019 will make it easier to purchase medications through health savings accounts, which will help stop the spread of the coronavirus by keeping those who are experiencing mild symptoms out of the doctor’s office. The Priority Zoonotic Animal Drug designation will help treat future zoonotic diseases, like the coronavirus, before they cause serious harm to humans.”

Sen. Moran’s statement:

“Our country is facing a pandemic, and we must act now to make certain Kansans have the support they need to weather this storm. The CARES Act is far from perfect and includes many provisions I would not support in ordinary circumstances, but hospitals need supplies, small businesses need loans, farmers and ranchers need certainty and folks who are out of work, through no fault of their own, need relief. Through direct payments to families, assistance to hurting industries and strategic solutions to meet health care demands, Phase III will provide relief and resources to help make certain small businesses can keep employees on the payroll and reopen their doors when this pandemic has passed.

“Despite the bill’s many imperfections, I’m pleased a number of provisions I advocated for are included in this legislation, such as providing aid to the aviation industry and community banks and providing additional resources to the FCC as we utilize more broadband and telecommunications services to meet the economic and educational needs of families in this uncertain time.”

Sen. Moran’s priorities included in the CARES Act:


• Resources for SBA Loans: Improves the utility of the SBA’s 7(a) loan program by temporarily increasing the types of businesses, nonprofits, and lenders eligible to participate in the program, providing flexibility in the use of such loans, and instituting loan forgiveness measures to keep employees on the payroll.
• Support for Health Care Providers: Supplies $100 billion in direct assistance to health care providers treating COVID-19 patients. Also increases payments to Critical Access Hospitals during this pandemic.
• Resources for Critical Medical Supplies: Addresses medical supply shortages by providing $16 billion to procure personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other medical supplies.
• Resources for Vaccines, Therapeutics, Diagnostics, and other Medical Needs: Provides $11 billion for producing a vaccine and other medical supplies to prevent the virus and help treat it.
• Support for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Provides $4.3 billion to the CDC for public health preparedness and response.
• Support for Critical Research on COVID-19: Provides resources for research and development efforts of the National Science Foundation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Increase to Food Access: Provides $450 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to help food banks purchase, store and distribute food to people in need.
• Support for Veterans: Provides $19 billion for the Department of Veteran Affairs to treat COVID-19, purchase test kits and Personal Protective Equipment and support veterans during this pandemic.
• Support for Farmers and Ranchers: Includes $9.5 billion for the Secretary of Agriculture to provide support to farmers and ranchers impacted by COVID-19, including livestock producers; and includes $14 billion to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation to address challenges in the agricultural economy.
• Support for Manufacturers: Includes $50 million of additional funds to NIST’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program, which provides direct support to the nation’s small and mid-sized manufacturers, and none of the funds provided under this legislation would be subject to the cost share requirement that is a normal requirement for this program.
• Relief for Community Banks: Lowers the Community Bank Leverage Ratio, allowing banks to dip further into their capital reserves for increased lending during these times of stress. This will help banks quickly provide loans to those who need them.
• Relief for Aviation Industry: Provides $10 billion in relief for airports, including $100 million for general aviation airports.
• Support for Kansas Airports: Includes $56 million for essential air service (EAS), providing aid to the five EAS airports in Kansas.
• Support for Tribes: Dedicates $8 billion in economic support to tribal governments, plus $1 billion for Indian Health Services.
• Support for FCC COVID-19 Response: Helps the FCC prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus.
• Removal of Regulatory Burdens: Fixes regulations in the paid leave mandate for small businesses.
• Support for Economic Recovery: Provides additional funding support to the Economic Development Administration to address national economic injury impacts resulting from COVID-19.
• Support for Rural Development: Provides additional resources for USDA’s Business & Industry Loan Program, USDA’s Distance, Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program and the USDA’s ReConnect Program to expand broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved areas.