Cold weather shelters and warming centers are available in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a Unified Government list.
The UG’s community centers are open to homeless persons and anyone else in the community needing a warm shelter during extreme weather, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to information from the UG.
The UG community centers with the hours listed above include Armourdale Community Center, 730 Osage; Bethany Community Center, 1120 Central; Eisenhower Recreation Center, 2901 N. 72nd St.; Joe E. Amayo Argentine Community Center, 2810 Metropolitan Ave.; Beatrice L. Lee Community Center, 1210 N. 10th St.; Patricia Diane Kane Community Center, 3130 N. 122nd St.; and Kensington Community Center, 2900 State Ave.
The UG also has a map with these locations on it for warming centers:
Providence YMCA-Ball Family Center, 8601 Parallel Parkway, open 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Check availability. Because of COVID-19, only open when staffed. Call 913-378-9622.
Eisenhower Community Center, 2901 N. 72nd St., open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday. Check availability. Because of COVID-19, only open when staffed. Call 913-596-7050.
Turner Recreation Commission, 831 S. 55th St., open 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday. Check availability. Because of COVID-19, only open when staffed. Call 913-287-2111.
Kane Community Center, 3130 N. 122nd, open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday. Check availability. Because of COVID-19, only open when staffed. Call 913-721-5193.
Kansas City Dream Center, 1500 Central Ave., Saturday, sign up 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., stay until 7 a.m. when temperatures are 20 degrees or below; Sunday, sign up 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., stay until 7 a.m. when temperatures are 20 degrees or below; telephone 913-735-5337.
Cross-Lines Community Outreach, 736 Shawnee Drive, open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Call 913-281-3388.
Kansas City, Kansas, City Hall lobby, 701 N. 7th St., open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, closed on weekends. Check availability. Because of COVID-19, open only when staffed. Call 913-573-5311.
Call the locations first to see if they are offering the warming centers currently.
For more information, visit https://ughealth.info/COLDSHELTER.
Call the Unified Government at 311 or the United Way at 211 for other possible warming centers.
Snow is possible Friday night to Saturday morning, and Sunday night to Monday. (National Weather Service graphic)Dangerously cold temperatures are expected Friday night through Tuesday morning. (National Weather Service graphic)The coldest and most dangerous conditions will be Sunday through Tuesday morning. (National Weather Service graphic)
A wind chill advisory is in effect until noon today in Wyandotte County, and another wind chill advisory has been issued for 9 p.m. tonight until noon Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
The temperature was 2 degrees at 9 a.m. Friday, with a wind chill of minus 16, the weather service said.
The extreme cold could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, according to the weather service. Dangerous wind chills will remain possible for the weekend into early next week.
Residents are advised to use caution while traveling outside. They should wear appropriate clothing, a hat and gloves, according to the weather service.
A slight chance of snow will increase through the afternoon, continuing overnight into early Saturday morning, the weather service said.
There is a 30 percent chance of snow tonight, then on Sunday and Sunday night, there will be a 40 percent chance of snow, according to the forecast.
Additional accumulating snow is possible by Sunday afternoon through Monday, with the best chance for accumulation south of I-70, the weather service said.
Dangerously cold wind chills are expected Monday morning, ranging from minus 20 to minus 30, according to the weather service.
Today, there is a 20 percent chance of snow after 4 p.m., with a high near 10 during the day. The wind chill will be between minus 5 and minus 12. There will be a north northeast wind of 10 to 13 mph.
Tonight, there is a 30 percent chance of snow, mainly between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 1, with wind chill values of between minus 5 and minus 12. A north northeast wind will be around 10 mph.
Saturday, it will be mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 8 and wind chill values between minus 5 and minus 15, the weather service said. A north northeast wind will be around 10 mph.
Saturday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of minus 2 and wind chill values between minus 7 and minus 16, according to the weather service. A north northeast wind will be around 10 mph.
Sunday, there is a 40 percent chance of snow, with a high near 5, the weather service said. A north northeast wind of 10 to 14 mph will could as high as 18 mph.
Sunday night, there is a 40 percent chance of snow, mainly before midnight, with a low of minus 8, according to the weather service.
On Monday, Presidents Day, it will be mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 2, the weather service said.
Monday night, it will be mostly cloudy with a low of minus 10, according to the weather service.
Tuesday, it will be partly sunny and cold, with a high near 12, the weather service said.
Tuesday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 4, according to the weather service.
Wednesday, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 23, the weather service said.
Wednesday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 4, according to the weather service.
Thursday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 24, the weather service said.
For more weather information, visit www.weather.gov.
A clinical trial at the University of Kansas Medical Center will test new treatments for COVID-19.
Dr. Mario Castro, pulmonologist and researcher, is enrolling COVID-19 positive patients in an ACTIV-2 trial of four new therapies. He spoke during a news conference Thursday morning at the University of Kansas Health System.
The four include a new monoclonal antibody from AstraZeneca that could be infused or injected; one that uses interferon as a nebulized treatment; and an oral pill that should be taken four times a day, he said.
The monoclonal antibody counts for two treatments, one infused and one injected. Injections would save time and would be more easily available to patients. If the injection trial works and is approved, one day patients could go to the doctor’s office and get two injections instead of having to go to an infusion center, he said.
If the interferon treatment works and is approved, patients one day could go to the doctor’s office, get a nebulized treatment and take a nebulizer home with them for a week and quarantine, he said. Some asthma patients currently use the interferon treatment, inhaled through a nebulizer.
The fourth treatment, an oral pill that is an enzyme inhibitor, is the most exciting, Dr. Castro said. A COVID-19 patient could be prescribed a pill by the doctor, and take it four times a day.
They don’t know yet if any of the treatments will work, and they are seeking volunteers to participate in the trials, he said.
“The vaccines will get there, but we’re always going to have COVID-19 or some variant of coronavirus, and we need to have new treatments. We just have too few treatments available for these viral infections,” Dr. Castro said.
Those who are eligible for the trial have had a positive COVID-19 test result within a week (earlier is better), and are over 18 years old, he said. They are outpatients. There are some conditions that will be excluded from the trials, he added. Those conditions will be discussed when patients call Luigi Boccardi to enroll in the trials at 913-588-4022.
The treatments have been used in the past for other conditions, and there is a lot of safety data behind them, Dr. Castro said.
The KU Medical Center is one of more than 90 other sites in the United States participating in the clinical trials.
Dr. Castro also has been leading other trials at KU Health System, including the trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which also was being conducted at many sites. He is the division chief for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, and vice chair for clinical and translational research at KU Medical Center.
COVID-19 case numbers reported
The total number of COVID-19 active and recovering COVID-19 patients at the University of Kansas Health System was 74 on Thursday, a decrease of two since Wednesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 27 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, a decrease of three from Wednesday. Eight of those patients were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of one since Wednesday, with six on ventilators, an increase of one since Wednesday. There were another 47 patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 who were out of the acute phase, an increase of one since Wednesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 36 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, Feb. 11, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative 17,293 cases. There was a cumulative total of 245 deaths, the same as Wednesday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 152,561 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Thursday. There were 1,996 cumulative deaths, and 104 was the daily average of new hospitalizations.
The state of Kansas reported 284,894 COVID-19 cases statewide on Wednesday, an increase of 1,934 cases since Monday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 106 deaths reported, with a cumulative total of 4,303.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 27,390,465 cases in the United States, with 475,291 total deaths nationwide.
Free COVID-19 tests Friday
COVID-19 tests also will be available Friday, Feb. 12, at the Pierson Community Center parking lot, 1800 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Hours are subject to change depending on the weather and other factors. These tests are through WellHealth Management. Appointments are required at the Pierson Community Center. For more information and to schedule a test, visit www.GoGetTested.com/Kansas.
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12. Appointments are not needed for COVID-19 tests. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The Health Department is now offering saliva COVID-19 tests to the public. Tests from the Health Department are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.
The tests are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
Wyandotte County residents who are interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine may fill out a survey form at the UG Health Department at https://us.openforms.com/Form/2f2bcc68-3b6a-450b-9007-d39819db6572. Residents will be contacted to make an appointment when vaccine becomes available. The Health Department currently is vaccinating high-contact critical workers, as well as residents over 85.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
Wyandotte County is under a mandatory mask and social distancing order.
