Jan 01, 2022

KDHE: Comparing COVID numbers from New Year's Day 2021

Posted Jan 01, 2022 5:55 PM

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas was much larger to end 2021 than on New Year's Day a year ago.

On January 1, 2021, the Kansas Department of Health reported an increase of 5,312 cases of COVID to a total of 227,745 statewide. Coronavirus deaths were reported at 2,879 an increase of 138.

<b>Friday Jan. 1, 2021 KDHE image</b>
Friday Jan. 1, 2021 KDHE image

Click here for Data about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Click here for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

This year, due to the holiday, the KDHE released no new numbers on New Year's Eve Friday. On Wednesday, the state reported an increase of 7,083 COVID cases for a total of 519,544. The state reported 37 additional COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday for a total of 7,001 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Wednesday Dec. 29, 2021 KDHE image
Wednesday Dec. 29, 2021 KDHE image

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case. 

Cases occurring between September 1, 2020 and July 29, 2021 were classified by previous CDC/CSTE case definition, and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the original case definition.