COVID-19 Status in Sedgwick County – March 2024

In Sedgwick County, emergency department data shows a decrease in COVID-19-related visits (0.7%) for the week of February 11 compared to the most recent peak in emergency department visits, which occurred December 24 (2.3%). COVID-19 hospitalizations are 5.8 per 100,000 residents (an increase from the previous week), and hospitalizations are still low per the CDC’s COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level. The number of active clusters has been decreasing in the past two weeks.

The currently dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States is still JN.1. The JN.1 variant came from the BA.2.86 Omicron variant that was circulating earlier in 2023. So far, it has not been shown to cause more severe symptoms, but it appears to be more transmissible than previous variants. The updated vaccine is still effective at preventing severe illness. Tests and treatments also still work for JN.1. The CDC at this time does not believe JN.1 poses any additional risks to public health compared to previous variants.