The positive test rate for COVID-19 rose dramatically in June in Kansas while Missouri saw its rate increase slightly as coronavirus numbers took a negative turn in both states last month.
During the first week in June, Kansas’ positive test rate ranged from 2.48% to 4.7% with a seven-day rolling average of 3.6%. About 21,400 tests were conducted.
During the last week of the month, it ranged from 7.5% to 10.42% with a seven-day average of 8.12%, according to data compiled by The Star from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. About 30,200 tests were administered.
Ideally, the number should be at or below 3%, according to Jennifer Tolbert, a director of state health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation
In interviews, Tolbert, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman, Kansas Health Institute Senior Analyst Charles Hunt, and Enid Schatz, the chair of the University of Missouri’s public health department, pointed to the positive test rate as a key metric for decision making and understanding the spread of the virus, along with the rate of new cases and hospitalizations.
Positive rate
While there was more testing in Missouri during June, the positive test rate also increased.
The percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive is an indicator of the virus’s spread as well as testing. If the number is low, it means that more asymptomatic people are being tested.
Missouri’s rate during the first week of June ranged from 3.26% to 3.95% with a seven-day rolling average of 4.03%. About 48,800 tests were conducted.
During the last week in June, it ranged from 4.05% to 6.03% with a seven-day average of 4.83%, according to data maintained by The Star from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. That week, about 67,300 tests were administered.
New cases
The number of new cases also increased in Kansas and Missouri.
During the first week of June in Kansas, the seven-day average for new cases was 112. By the end of the month, it had more than tripled to 375.
Missouri had a seven-day average of 246 at the beginning of June, but by the end of the month, it had jumped to 434.
The Kansas City metropolitan area saw record-breaking numbers of new cases three times last week with 443 new cases being reported Friday.
The Harvard Global Health Institute mapped out risk levels by the number of daily new cases per 100,000 people.
Four states are in a red category — Arizona, Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana.
Sixteen states, including Kansas, are in the orange category. Thirty states, including Missouri, are in the yellow category.
Hospitalizations
The hospitalization rate also rose in June.
Kansas tracks the number of new daily admissions. At the beginning of June, the number was at about six. By the end of the month, it was nine.
Missouri counts the number of daily hospitalizations. Though the seven-day average dipped in mid-June to about 588, by the end of the month, it had increased to 657.
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System said they have seen their numbers climbing.
“I think what’s happening is we are not in a surge, we are just in an expansion period right now of the virus,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control.
About two weeks, ago the hospital saw a spike with 24 patients. That decreased to 15, but has since been back on the rise.
Hawkinson said Tuesday that there are 22 patients being treated for COVID-19 with eight of them in the intensive care unit.
The hospital has also seen more patients who are 20 to 30 years old.
Steve Stites, chief medical officer, said the shelter-in-place orders that were in effect did bend the curve.
“I think what we have to decide as a society is at what price for freedom, now I don’t mean freedom as far as freedom of speech and things like that, but it’s really about the freedom of movement in this question and we just have to think about what is the choice we want to make,” he said during a daily briefing hosted by the health system.
The health system recommended frequent hand washing, social distancing and wearing face masks in public. Masks are required in Kansas City, North Kansas City and Jackson County in Missouri and a statewide order covers Kansas, with some exceptions.
