Two new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Wyandotte County, according to a news release today from the Unified Government.
Wyandotte County’s total number of cases is three. Both new patients have been released from the hospital and are in isolation at home, according to the spokesman.
A spokesman for the UG stated that a connection with any other cases has not been identified yet. There is an epidemiological investigation being conducted currently.
The first case here was a man in his 70s who died last Wednesday and was confirmed positive March 12 after a post-mortem test for COVID-19, according to the spokesman.
The new cases are two Wyandotte County residents, including one female in her 40s and one female in her 50s, according to the spokesman.
Both patients were admitted to different local hospitals, where medical providers determined that they should be tested for COVID-19, according to the spokesman.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed the positive test results late Monday evening, the spokesman stated. Both patients have been released and are self-isolating at home in accordance with CDC guidelines, the spokesman stated.
Janell Friesen, public information officer for the UG Health Department, said at this time there is no evidence of connection to cases in the area.
“The investigation is underway for all cases to do contact tracing,” she said. “We track down anybody who had contact with the people who tested positive for COVID-19, to make sure they are taking appropriate steps to quarantine at home.”
While people cannot walk into a store and buy a test kit, if they feel the need to be tested, they can call their regular health care provider to evaluate their condition and determine if they need to be tested, she said. In general, testing is done if there are symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, she said.
“We are relieved that both patients are well enough to have been released from the hospital and wish them each a speedy recovery,” Mayor David Alvey said in a news release. “The Unified Government Public Health Department serving Wyandotte County will continue to conduct a contact investigation in these cases. This is a process where we retrace the patient’s steps and activities so that we can identify anyone who may have been potentially exposed to COVID-19.”
Mayor Alvey also noted how these new cases underscore the importance of strong public health measures, including the bar and restaurant ban announced on March 16.
“Two more cases are indicative of why the bar and restaurant ban is an important proactive step to limiting the transmission of COVID-19 and preventing an overload of our local health system,” Mayor Alvey said. The bar and restaurant ban was put in place in partnership with Jackson County, Johnson County, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Later this afternoon, the mayor and Health Department officials are planning to hold a Facebook Live session to explain why they closed restaurants, bars and casinos, and to talk about why they are taking stronger public health measures, according to Friesen.
Additionally, Unified Government officials and Public Health Department experts encourage all community members to take steps of their own to reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to the news release.
These measures include:
• Avoid large gatherings
• Practice social distancing by avoiding being closer than 6 feet to others
• If you’re sick, stay home
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath), call ahead before seeing your health care provider, and stay home until you receive additional instructions from his or her office
• If you think you may need to be tested for COVID-19, call your health care provider, who will evaluate your symptoms and other factors that could indicate COVID-19 (e.g. travel history) to determine if testing is right for you
• Practice good hygiene, including washing hands frequently, and avoid touching your nose, eyes or mouth with unwashed hands at all times
• Cover coughs with a tissue or your sleeve
“Our objective in asking the public to follow these recommendations and learn more about the virus is to contain the spread of the virus and give our residents the information they need to minimize their exposure to it,” Terrie Garrison, interim director of the UG Health Department, said. “Seeing additional cases of COVID-19 in our county is a call to action for all of us. It’s up to our community as a whole to reduce the spread and protect those most vulnerable to serious illness, including older adults and people with chronic health conditions.”
If you or a loved one are at higher risk for serious illness, follow the latest CDC guidelines for people at higher risk. These include:
• Having adequate medications, food, and household supplies on hand
• Avoid crowds
• Planning ahead for what to do if a usual caregiver is sick
• Note: Wearing masks in public is not recommended for those who are trying to avoid infection
“Our community in Wyandotte County is incredibly resilient,” Mayor Alvey said. “We have faced public health challenges before and overcome them, just as we will now. The Unified Government will continue to update our residents through our website and social media on the latest COVID-19 information.”
Resources provided by the Unified Government include:
• Wycokck.org/COVID-19: This website contains UG news releases on COVID-19 and a list of resources to learn more
• The Wyandotte County Help Line is available to residents at 3-1-1 for those with questions about COVID-19.
In addition, the KDHE has also set up a hotline at 866-534-3463.
KDHE has a website for more information on COVID-19, at http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
The CDC also has a COVID-19 website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/.
