KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 41 Action News is offering a daily recap of COVID-19 related stories from across Kansas City and the country. Check back every morning for the latest developments.
LATEST: COVID-19 case tracker for Missouri, Kansas and Kansas City
University of Kansas Health System update
Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System reported 60 patients with active COVID-19 infections on Friday, including 20 patients in the ICU and 11 on ventilators. The hospital also has 65 patients with infections that are no longer active, but still require care.
In Friday’s call, doctors also discussed the variants of COVID-19, saying that the higher transmissibility rates of the variants do not necessarily indicate disease severity.
Still, more people transmitting the disease leads to an overall increase in infections, hospitalizations and deaths, the doctors said.
"This is the concern of a variant that has an increased transmissibility. It’s the reason we talk so much about the things that you need to continue to do, even when there’s a Chiefs playoff game this weekend, to keep yourself safe," Dr. David Wild, the hospital’s vice president of performance improvement, said. "I can nearly guarantee that this variant, that has an increased transmissibility, is here in our community."
Vaccine supply still limited in metro
On Thursday, the state of Kansas moved to Phase 2 of its vaccine distribution plan, which will prioritize people 65 and older, high-contact critical workers and those in congregate settings. The move to Phase 2 means around 1 million more people in Kansas are now eligible to receive the vaccine.
After the governor’s announcement, Johnson County officials said they will begin distributing vaccines to those groups next week, though they stressed it will take "a while" before everyone in Phase 2 receives the vaccine.
Wyandotte County officials said Friday they will go through Phase 2 "in stages," beginning with certain high-contact critical workers. The county said it made the decision based on who has the most contact with the public and where the most outbreaks have occurred.
In a joint statement Thursday, health leaders in the Kansas City metro urged people to be patient with the vaccine rollout because of the “very limited” supply.
MO health care worker faces challenges in getting vaccine
One St. Louis chiropractor told 41 Action News that despite falling in the state’s first phase of vaccine distribution, she has been unable to receive her initial dose. The private chiropractor said she filled out a registry and signed up through several hospitals, but still has not been notified about a time to receive the vaccine.
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