Kansas City Copes With COVID Omicron Spike & Testing FAIL

The local pandemic news isn't looking good as public health guidance seems to be confusing quite a few people and creating a sense of paralysis for local life. 

In this TKC compilation we focus on local mainstream media links and offer a metro view of the ongoing pandemic throughout Kansas City.

Check it . . .

Omicron variant is here whether we like it or not, Kansas City area health expert says

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19 is not the news people want to hear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a number of maps on its website. The county by county map shows that community transmission of the coronavirus throughout nearly all of Kansas is high, which is what's in red.

Kansas City-area schools face 2nd semester COVID-19 decisions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As students return to school from winter break, districts are discussing COVID-19 protocols. Avery Foster, a freshman at Shawnee Mission East High School, told KSHB 41 News she is disappointed in the actions taken by her school district, or lack thereof in her eyes.

Hundreds line up for free COVID-19 tests in Overland Park

Hundreds of people on Tuesday showed up for free same-day, PCR COVID-19 tests near 151st and Metcalf Avenue. MyHomeLabs offered the tests for free for one-day as a service to the community. The demand was huge after the holidays, just days before students and staff return to school."Absolutely shocking," said Jerred Mann, CEO and co-founder of MyHomeLabs.

Children's Mercy Hospital reports record level of Covid-19 patients

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The number of patients hospitalized at Children's Mercy with Covid-19 is 27 right now. That's the highest it has been at any time during the pandemic. The high this summer was 22. It seems surprising, but the hospital reported that on Monday, Dec.

COVID-19 cases nearly triple in Missouri; double in Kansas, Kansas City area in December

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The number of new COVID-19 cases in Missouri nearly tripled and cases in Kansas as well as the seven-county Kansas City region nearly doubled in December, a surge fueled by holiday gatherings and the arrival of the omicron variant.

Biden to address American public on omicron variant as COVID cases soar: Live updates

President Joe Biden will address the American public Tuesday about the omicron variant as COVID-19 cases continue multiplying to record levels following the holidays. Nearly 1 in 100 Americans have tested positive for the virus in just the last week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

COVID case counts may be losing importance amid omicron | AP News

The explosive increase in U.S. coronavirus case counts is raising alarm, but some experts believe the focus should instead be on COVID-19 hospital admissions. And those aren't climbing as fast. Dr. Anthony Fauci, for one, said Sunday on ABC that with many infections causing few or no symptoms, "it is much more relevant to focus on the hospitalizations as opposed to the total number of cases."

Covid Science: Virus leaves antibodies that may attack healthy tissues

Jan 3 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

U.S. reports over 1 million new daily Covid cases as omicron surges

The U.S. reported a record number of new Covid cases on Monday, with over one million new infections. A total of 1,082,549 new coronavirus cases were reported on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, as the highly infectious omicron variant continues to spread throughout the country.

CDC adds testing guidance to shortened Covid isolation recommendation after facing criticism

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amended its controversial Covid-19 isolation guidance on Tuesday after coming under pressure for cutting quarantine time in half, saying people who have recovered from the virus and have isolated for at least five days can take a rapid test if they want.

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately? | AP News

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately? A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant. Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn't make them very sick, and its surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places.

NY COVID hospitalizations top 10K for first time since early days of pandemic

The number of New Yorkers hospitalized with COVID-19 has surpassed 10,000 for the first time since May 2020, state officials said. The soaring number comes as the Omicron variant continues to ravage the Empire State, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that the new strain may account for up to 99 percent of all cases in the region, NBC-TV said in a report Tuesday.

Map: 7 straight days of record-setting Covid case counts

Welcome to The Data Point, a series from the NBC News Data Graphics team that explains a slice of the latest news through charts and visuals. Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country are breaking records day after day as the omicron variant rages on.

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