TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials on Wednesday reported the highest seven-day jump in new COVID-19 cases since the state confirmed its first positive case, albeit with a declining death rate.
The state Department of Health and Environment reported 1,536 new cases since Monday, an increase of 4%, to bring the total to 39,937. The department reported an additional 11 COVID-19-related deaths, to put the pandemic total at 437.
The two-day jump in reported coronavirus cases gave Kansas its biggest seven-day spike in new cases since the pandemic reached the state in early March. The average number of new cases for the seven days ending Wednesday was 578, almost 18% higher than the previous peak of 491 cases a day for the seven days ending Aug. 17.
“I think it’s because people are starting to congregate with schools and with other settings and, quite honestly, the activities we saw even a week or two ago are coming home to roost,” Dr. Lee Norman, state secretary of health and environment, said in an interview.
Still, the death rate appears to be dropping. The 437 deaths reported Wednesday represent 1.09% of the reported cases, the lowest figure since April.
In a news conference, Norman said Kansas has the 16th highest new case rate per 100,000 residents per week in the United States. Kansas’ new case rate is 108 cases per 100,000 residents per week, compared to the national average of 93 cases, he said.
Norman also said 10.3% of Kansas’ COVID-19 tests return positive, which is said is the sixth highest rate in the country.
Kansas State University plans to install in dorm rooms a device that emits dry hydrogen peroxide to lower the risk of students being infected with COVID-19.
The university had installed units in some of its facilities including the student health center and recreation center, Dr. Kyle Goerl, medical director at Kansas State, said in an email on Wednesday. The university plans to also place devices in residence halls next week, he said.
Kansas State University announced Wednesday it has posted testing data on its website, which includes the number of students, faculty and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 at its health center. Last week, 63 people, or 9.29% of those the center tested, tested positive for the virus, according to the data. As of Friday, the number of students in quarantine in Manhattan was 159, and 49 were in isolation, the data shows.
Aerosolized hydrogen peroxide is “one of the cleansing mechanisms that does work,” Norman said in an interview.
“It’s not 100% because it does not penetrate into everything, but it does kill the virus,” Norman said.
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Andy Tsubasa Field is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues
