Shawnee Co. sees huge improvements in latest COVID-19 report

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - All measures improved in the latest Shawnee County COVID-19 Indicator Report.

County health officials report an overall score of 10 for the week of February 13-19. This is a five-point drop from the previous week.

The decrease is attributed to fewer cases. Shawnee County saw a total of 279 weekly new coronavirus cases last week, a drop from 605 the week before. Health officials said this is the first time weekly cases have dropped below 350 in 16 weeks.

The percent of positive tests also fell from 13% to 7.2%. A percent positivity lower than 10% percent had not been reached for 13 weeks before that.

Hospital stress is also falling, but not by much - from 3.0 to 2.8.

All of these measures have Shawnee County maintaining its substantial rate of transmission.

Shawnee County reached its highest peak since the pandemic began in mid-January. Since that time, health officials said the county has seen a 89.3% decrease in trend in cases reported over the last four weeks.

Shawnee County Health Department Infectious Disease Manager, Derik Flerlage, said as COVID-19 trends change, the way they use the indicator report could also.

“We are evaluating what that looks like long-term,” he continued saying, ”Moving forward what that means for using the indicator, how it is going to apply to the community, and how COVID is going to be with us in the community long-term as well.”

Flerlage said the health department is waiting on additional guidance from the CDC and KDHE as they look at the possibility of transitioning from a pandemic into an endemic.

You can read the full Shawnee County COVID-19 Indicator Report here.

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