SALINA - After three weeks of practicing social distancing, new data from the University of Washington indicate those good habits are paying off and Kansas should see its number of COVID-19 cases peak earlier than originally predicted and overall deaths associated with the virus decrease.
“It’s working, our plan of social isolation is working,” said U.S. Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D. “New modeling shows that expected deaths in Kansas, from the coronavirus, have been cut in half and we have moved our peak date of cases up by nearly two weeks. This is good news for everyone and a great sign that our change in habits and personal sacrifices have paid off.”
According to data found at covid19.healthdata.org, Kansas’ peak date has been moved from April 28 to April 18. The number of ventilators the state is expected to need as well as the number of ICU beds and personal protective equipment will also decrease.
“We can expect the worst of the virus to be behind us by mid-May,” said Rep. Marshall. “But we can’t let our guard down too soon or this virus will strike again. However, I do think we can start thinking about how we get our economy fired back up, our stores re-opened and our people back to work.”