Category: Health

Kansas reports sixth COVID-19 case

The sixth Kansas COVID-19 case has been reported in Butler County, Kansas, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

A man in his 70s who had traveled outside the United States is a presumptive positive case, with testing sent to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories, according to a KDHE spokesman. The man is now in isolation.

The results will be verified by the CDC lab but will be treated as positive unless determined otherwise, according to the spokesman.

Butler County is adjacent to Sedgwick County. Sedgwick County includes the Wichita area.

KDHE will continue to work with the local health department and CDC to identify and contact people who may have come into contact with the individual while he was infectious, and will monitor those persons for fever and respiratory symptoms, the spokesman stated.

“Kansans should remain vigilant,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE secretary said, in a news release. “It’s important to live your lives, but it’s also important to take basic precautions like exercising good hygiene practices. It is up to each of us to do our part.”

People should exercise vigilance when attending large public gatherings, particularly those people over age 60 and those with weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions. There are mass events guidance documents from the Centers from Disease Control available on KDHE’s website, www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.

If you have symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath and believe you may have had contact or have had contact with someone with a laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider, the KDHE spokesman stated.

You may also call the KDHE phone bank at 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF) today Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information about COVID-19, visit KDHE’s website and Frequently Asked Questions at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Edwardsville announces measures in response to public health concerns

The city of Edwardsville, Kansas, has announced it is taking several precautions to limit potential exposure of residents and staff to COVID-19.

According to Zack Daniel, assistant city manager, because of emerging health concerns in the Greater Kansas City region and the nation, Edwardsville is taking several precautions, including:

• Rescheduling March 19 Municipal Court appearances for later dockets. This does not apply to video arraignments, which will go on as scheduled.

• Placing a moratorium on new reservations for the Edwardsville Community Center until April 30, 2020.

• Placing a moratorium on new reservations for the shelter house at the Edwardsville City Park until April 30, 2020.

• Enacting appropriate social distancing procedures for Edwardsville police officers when dealing with large public gatherings.

• Considering additional personal protective measures for Edwardsville fire and EMS staff while treating patients, which may include placing masks on some patients.

Other measures to limit potential exposure to residents and staff may be considered as circumstances change and new information is made available, according to Edwardsville officials. These developments will be shared through news releases, on the city’s official website (www.edwardsvilleks.org), and the city’s various social media outlets. Additional information is being provided through the Wyandotte County Public Health Department (www.wycokck.org/health).

Three new cases of COVID-19 in Johnson County

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is confirming three presumptive-positive cases of COVID-19 in Kansas.

The possible cases were identified with testing sent to KDHE’s Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories (KHEL). KHEL, which is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to perform COVID-19 testing, found presumptive-positive results. These results will be verified by the CDC lab but will be treated as a positive unless determined otherwise.

The cases are in Johnson County and involve three people who attended the same conference in Florida. It is believed they contracted COVID-19 in Florida, according to KDHE.
They were not symptomatic when traveling home and sought care once they began feeling ill, according to the KDHE spokesman. KDHE continues to work with the local health department and CDC to identify and contact people who may have come into contact with the individual while they were infectious and will monitor them for fever and respiratory symptoms, the spokesman stated.

The patients are all males and in isolation. These cases are not connected to the earlier case in Johnson County, the spokesman stated. No other information will be provided about the patients.

“Right now, there is no community spread,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “The cases in Kansas are here because of transmission elsewhere. However, Kansans should remain vigilant. It’s important to live your lives, but it’s also important to take basic precautions like exercising good hygiene practices. It is up to each of us to do our part.”

“Kansas is working alongside local and federal public health partners in addressing presumptive positive cases in our state, and the potential spread of the virus,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “It is our highest priority to keep all Kansans healthy and safe. Everyone should continue to practice safe habits such as hand washing and staying home when sick. The KDHE website, www.kdheks.gov, has daily updates and other resources to keep Kansans educated on COVID-19.”

People should exercise vigilance when attending large public gatherings, particularly those people over age 60 and those with weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions. There are mass events guidance documents from the Centers from Disease Control available on KDHE’s website, www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.

If you have symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath and believe you may have had contact or have had contact with someone with a laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider.

You may also call the KDHE phone bank at 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF) today Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information about COVID-19, visit KDHE’s website and Frequently Asked Questions at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/ and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.