In Sedgwick County, there has been an updated number of COVID-19 hospitalization rates. The hospitalization rate in Sedgwick County is on the rise this month after a few months of stable numbers. Hospitals in the area have seen more COVID patients, straining their already thin resources. A spokesperson for Ascension Via Christi, Roz Hutchinso, said, “We’re very full, so when you have somebody waiting to take a bed in the ER, then it’s not going to be open for an out-of-county transfer.”

Of course, the county has made reports of 181 hospitalized patients encountering the virus. About 58 of them are in the ICU. These numbers are a steep rise from last week, when the county made it known there had been about 177 patients, 53 of them in the ICU. The county hasn’t seen numbers this high since the New Year’s Eve Omicron outbreak. Although this peak is far from those heights, it is still a major concern.

COVID-19 Continues to Strain Kansas Hospitals

COVID-19 is definitely taking its toll on people, as it has been a constant for some time. While cases tend to rise and fall, the world has not had a chance to let its guard down since the pandemic began in March 2022. The virus is certainly wreaking more havoc than one would have previously thought.

And the thing is that Wichita isn’t even completely out of the woods yet. It is still a critical time for hospitals, as they approach full capacity with fewer beds and staff than ever before. There have also been investigations into Kansas hospitals for staffers to deal with. Furthermore, only 48% of Sedgwick County residents have been fully vaccinated against the virus.

“This is what’s been going on for weeks now,” said Hutchinson.

This recent rise just illustrates how important quality COVD-19 testing is. With available and accurate testing, Sedgwick County can help itself get through this latest wave of the pandemic.