A second COVID-19 variant has been found in Kansas, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The new B117 or UK variant was identified in Sedgwick County, the Wichita area, according to the KDHE news release. The first B117 case in Kansas was a student-athlete at Fort Hays State University in Ellis County.
A case investigation showed that the person in Sedgwick County likely became infected while traveling out of state, the KDHE stated in a news release. Close contacts of the person have been notified, according to the KDHE. They are not releasing more details about the patient.
The variant was determined through whole genome sequencing conducted through the laboratories at KDHE, according to the news release.
“This finding does not change our public health recommendations. We continue to encourage people to take the appropriate precautions. This includes wearing a mask that fits snuggly around the nose and face and has multiple layers of fabric or layering thinner masks with an additional cloth face mask to improve the fit. Kansans should also follow isolation and quarantine recommendations, practice physical distancing, good hygiene, staying home if ill and getting the vaccine if you are able to, once the supply is sufficient,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE secretary, said in the news release.
Testing is important, according to the KDHE.
During the University of Kansas Health System news conference Monday morning, Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said there are as many as seven or more COVID-19 variants in the United States.
As they roll out more genomic sequencing around the nation, they hope to detect other variants, he said. Any time there is active viral replication going on in the body, that is when the mutations can occur, he added.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, said it’s normal for coronaviruses to shift all the time. The current vaccines should still protect people, according to the doctors.
The best protection for any variant is to wear a mask and keep socially distant, he said, Dr. Stites said.
Also, he said re-infections are rare.
Those who have had their first vaccine and got the virus before the vaccine took effect, should still get the second shot on schedule, as long as they are symptom-free, Dr. Hawkinson said.
Dr. Stites noted a huge drop in new COVID-19 cases throughout the nation, from 230,000 a day to 85,000 a day, with hospitalizations also down. Testing has been down about 20 percent, but the drop in new cases was much greater than the drop in testing, he added. The number of people being hospitalized is dropping, he said, and locally it dropped about 65 percent.
He said the decrease in cases is due to an increase in nursing home vaccinations, along with the number of residents nationally who had already had the virus, and the number of people who are wearing masks and following the rules of infection prevention.
\Dr. Jamie Wagner, chief of the health system’s division of breast surgical oncology, said that 10 percent of women get swelling in the lymph nodes after receiving the first Moderna COVID-19 vaccination, while 16 percent have swelling after the second dose.
Dr. Wagner said enlarged lymph nodes can also come with a breast cancer diagnosis so it’s vital women not put off their mammograms. She noted that since the pandemic began, there has been a 50% decrease in breast cancer diagnoses, but that doesn’t mean the disease has gone away. It just means fewer women, for whatever reason, are getting screened.
She said that even a short delay can make a big difference in the severity of breast cancer. She explained the safety measures the clinics have taken and urged women not to delay their screening mammograms because of worry about COVID-19.
Dr. Onalisa Winblad, division director of breast imaging, department of radiology, said if a person has had breast cancer, it’s a good idea to get the vaccination on the non-cancerous side. It usually takes two weeks for the wollen lymph nodes to return to normal from a vaccine, she said.
With imaging, they are typically able to tell if the swelling is from the vaccine or from breast cancer, but they may be asked to repeat an imaging, she said. Dr. Winblad advised to get the vaccination when it’s available, and if it is near the time of your scheduled mammogram, don’t put off the screening.
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 68 on Monday, a decrease of seven since Friday, according to Dr. Hawkinson. There were 32 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, an increase of seven from Friday. Ten of those patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of two from Friday, with five on ventilators, a decreaseof two snice Friday. There were another 36 patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 who were out of the acute phase, a decrease of 14 since Friday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 38 COVID-19 cases on Monday, Feb. 15, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative 17,373 cases. There was a cumulative total of 247 deaths, the same as Sunday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 153,448 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday. There were 2,075 cumulative deaths, and 95 was the daily average of new hospitalizations.
The state of Kansas reported 287,450 COVID-19 cases statewide on Monday, an increase of 1,348 cases since Friday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 42 deaths reported, with a cumulative total of 4,406.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Monday night reported 27,692,948 cases in the United States, with 486,321 total deaths nationwide.
COVID-19 tests scheduled Tuesday
Unified Government COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites are scheduled to be open on Tuesday. Other UG Health Department services will be closed Tuesday.
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open Tuesday, Feb. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are not needed for COVID-19 tests there on Tuesday. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The Health Department is 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.
Testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.
Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.
The KU doctors’ news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/2762472914004035.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/patient-visitor/covid19-update.
For more information about how Wyandotte County residents over 85 can get a vaccine at the Health Department site, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02032021_wycovaccinationsage85.pdf.
Vaccine data for the state of Kansas is at https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data.
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.
The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.
The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.
The Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.