A heat advisory goes into effect at noon Tuesday, July 27, through Thursday, July 29, in Wyandotte County and the surrounding area. (National Weather Service graphic)A heat advisory also is in effect Wednesday and Thursday in Wyandotte County and the surrounding area. (National Weather Service graphic)The maximum heat index on Wednesday could be around 106 in the area. (National Weather Service graphic)The maximum heat index on Thursday could be around 107 in the area. (National Weather Service graphic)
A heat advisory goes into effect at noon Tuesday, July 27, lasting through Thursday, July 29, according to the National Weather Service.
The high today will be near 95 with a heat index of 102, the weather service said.
It gets hotter on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday, the high will be near 96 with a heat index about 105. Thursday the high will be near 97 with a heat index around 106.
Residents are advised to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances, the weather service said.
If you work or spend time outside, take extra precautions, according to the weather service. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible.
To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency and residents may call 911.
To see more detailed information on heat-related stress on the body, visit the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature page at https://www.weather.gov/eax/wbgt and click on Wyandotte County.
Today, it will be sunny with a high near 95 and a heat index as high as 102, the weather service said. A calm wind will become south southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight, it will be clear with a low of 73 and a light southeast wind, according to the weather service.
Wednesday, it will be sunny with a high near 96 and a heat index around 105, the weather service said. A calm wind will become south southwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Wednesday night, it will be clear, with a low of 76, according to the weather service, and a south southwest wind of 6 mph.
Thursday, it will be sunny and hot, with a high near 97 and a west southwest wind around 6 mph, the weather service said.
Thursday night, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with a low of 76, according to the weather service.
Friday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 91, the weather service said.
Friday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 73.
Saturday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 87, the weather service said.
Saturday night, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low around 70, according to the weather service.
Sunday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 87, the weather service said.
Sunday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 66, according to the weather service.
Monday, it will be sunny, with a high near 86, the weather service said.
Children’s Mercy Hospital is at capacity, according to doctors.
Dr. Barbara Pahud, director of research for infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy, said Monday morning that more children with COVID need care because those under 12 can’t be vaccinated yet. Also, more children are getting childhood diseases such as RSV, which is usually a disease seen in the winter.
Last year at this time, everyone was in quarantine and wearing masks, which is not happening now. Dr. Pahud said reinstating mask mandates may not be the popular choice, but it is the right choice to save lives, since not enough people are vaccinated.
She urged parents to get their children who are 12 and older vaccinated now so they will have full protection when school starts.
“It’s kind of sad, in my opinion, to see that we of course want to put a priority into the economy, reopening everything, restaurants everywhere you go right now around the city, everything’s open, no masks required,” Dr. Pahud said. “But when we’re talking about children and knowing what’s the right thing for them and how to bring them back to school, we really push back on the masks. But it’s important to keep the kids in school.”
She said kids have become comfortable with masks and warns they can still transmit the virus to each other.
She also says public misinformation about the vaccine is a big problem. The most common myth is it causes infertility. Past vaccines have had clinical trials with only 30,000 to 40,000 people, but she stressed with more than 3 billion doses administered around the world, there is more safety information on this vaccine than any other vaccine ever in the history of the world. She saod you are more likely to be hit by lightning than to have a serious adverse reaction.
She anticipated full approval for the adult vaccine in September and for kids 12 and older by the end of the year. Clinical trials for young children are in progress. Dr. Pahud reminded everyone the mRNA vaccines do not carry a live virus, and therefore are extremely unlikely to have any long-term effects, just the short-term reactions that go away.
Dr. Nathan Bahr, infectious disease physician at the University of Kansas Health System, reminded those getting vaccinated that it isn’t a free pass to hang out in a crowd of 100 without masks before the vaccine takes full effect. He’s frustrated that the guidance of asking those unvaccinated people to wear a mask is not working.
“I’m not worried about a downside to a mask mandate. I’m worried about people dying in the meantime,” Dr. Bahr said.
To those who believe masks are dangerous due to a buildup of CO2, he said emphatically, “That’s not true.” He explained it’s been studied, and the evidence is overwhelming that does not happen.
“If masks were causing CO2 buildup, think about all the healthcare workers that would have been passing out in the operating room in eight-hour surgeries.”
He said right now if you test positive for COVID, it’s safe to say it’s the Delta variant. He said if you or your children feel sick or think you have symptoms, you should get tested, rather than trying to be tough and going to work, putting your coworkers at risk. He said there are no long-term concerns from the vaccines, but there are long term concerns from COVID.
Free vaccines available
Harmon High School will be the site of a community vaccination event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, at 2400 Steele Road.
Vaccines will be available, free for those 12 and older. There also will be a backpack giveaway, free food boxes, mobile dental truck, meal tickets for newly vaccinated participants and free ice cream, as well as music provided. In addition there will be prizes for teens who get the vaccine. Those who get a vaccine can sign up to win one of five $100 Visa gift cards, and two grand prize winners will get a $500 Visa gift card, if more than 75 people get vaccinated. Masks will be required at the event. The event is sponsored by the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools.
Free COVID-19 vaccines will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at the Kmart vaccination site, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Vaccines are free for people ages 12 and older. There are gifts available, as supplies last.
The Unified Government Health Department has announced there will be free COVID-19 vaccinations at a Sporting KC home match at 7:30 p.m. July 31. Vaccines will be available for ticketholders attending the games, who are 12 and older. People who get vaccinated will receive a free Sporting KC scarf.
For more information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.
Mobile vaccines can still be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311).
Other sites available for vaccinations
Free vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov. The website also tells whether vaccines are in stock at the locations.
Case numbers reported
Steady numbers in COVID-19 patients were reported Monday morning at the University of Kansas Health System. There were 34 active COVID-19 patients on Monday morning, an increase of one from Friday, according to Dr. Nathan Bahr, infectious disease doctor. Sixteen patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of four since Friday. Nine were on ventilators, an increase of two. Another 22 patients were hospitalized because of COVID-19 but were out of the acute infection phase, no change. There were 56 total COVID patients, the same number as Friday.
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 19,838 cases on Monday, an increase of 112 since Friday, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 306 deaths reported, an increase of four since Friday. On Wednesday, July 21, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 38.1 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 33 percent. The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 46.9 percent.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 171,327 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 91.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 328,755 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Monday, July 26, an increase of 1,488 since Friday, July 23. There was a total of 5,243 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of four since July 23.
The KDHE reported 62,244 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on July 26, an increase of 257 since July 23. Leavenworth County had 7757 cases, an increase of 82 since July 23. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 59,410 cases, an increase of 210 since July 23.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Monday night reported 34,533,058 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 610,951 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 15,711 new cases nationwide.
Countries with new cases rising were India, 39,361; Indonesia, 38,679; United Kingdom, 28,937; Iran, 27,146; and U.S, 15,711, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Vaccine doses reported administered in the United States Monday, 778,996. Fifty percent of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated.
Vaccines administered: Florida, 138.200; Texas, 132,230; California, 104,730; New York, 23,506; and Pennsylvania, 22,500.
Global vaccination progress: Japan, 3.756 million; India, 2.036 million; Mexico, 978,300; U.S., 779,000; and Turkey, 931,600.
Free testing available
Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at the UG Health Department’s central location, the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Free gift cards are available to those who get a test, while supplies last.
Besides Health Department sites, COVID-19 testing is available at several locations in Wyandotte County.
The Unified Government has scheduled a public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 29, to receive public opinion on what to do with $87 million it will receive from the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Public comments also will be taken on the Community Development Action Plan on July 29.
The UG budget hearing will be held at a separate meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7. This hearing is required if the revenue for the budget is anticipated to exceed the “revenue neutral” rate in the budget. At the July 15 meeting, UG officials said the mill levy for the city and county would not exceed last budget’s mill levy. However, because valuations are going up, the total revenues may be more than the last budget’s revenues.
At a July 15 UG meeting, the commission discussed ways to spend the federal ARPA dollars, such as on filling vacant positions at the UG, public health, stormwater investments, broadband expansion, infrastructure such as roads and bridges, police and fire funding, mental health, reserve funds, and assistance for the needy.
They decided to seek public input at the July 29 meeting.
A video of the July 15 meeting is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAGXnuYMWaA.
