The regional risk assessment (also known as the “bottom line”) is a tool used to understand and communicate the level of risk in our communities through looking at:
- Hazard – Effects on the population
- Mitigation Measures
- Ability to Respond – Capability of the health care system
This product is shared during presentations to regional partners as well as publicly on the Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub.
Due to exceptionally high COVID-19 numbers, we have added an additional risk category to convey the severity of risk more explicitly. The “exceptionally high” category uses a purple coloring and is two times or greater the thresholds for the “very high” (red) category for the metrics of hazard – effects on the population and ability to respond – capability of the health care system. There are no “exceptionally high” measurement definitions for the mitigation measures metric at this time.
For the metro region, the key metrics are defined as follows:
- Hazard – Effects on the population:
- CDC community transmission (weighted average): > 50% of counties are two times or the values defined by the CDC for “high” levels of community transmission.
- Cases: 591.42 daily average new cases or greater.
- Hospitalizations: 150 daily average new hospitalizations or greater.
- CDC community transmission (weighted average): > 50% of counties are two times or the values defined by the CDC for “high” levels of community transmission.
- Ability to respond – capability of the health care system:
- Hospital staffing: 40% or greater hospitals reporting an anticipated staffing shortage within the week.
- Hospital Resource Utilization: 95% or greater hospital resources used in any of the following categories: ICU beds, inpatient beds and ventilators.
For the North/South HCC region, the values are as follows:
- Hazard – Effects on the population:
- CDC community transmission (weighted average): > 50% of counties are two times or the values defined by the CDC for “high” levels of community transmission.
- Cases: 68.86 daily average new cases or greater.
- Hospitalizations: 20 daily average new hospitalizations or greater.
- CDC community transmission (weighted average): > 50% of counties are two times or the values defined by the CDC for “high” levels of community transmission.
- Ability to respond – capability of the healthcare system:
- Hospital staffing: 40% or greater hospitals reporting an anticipated staffing shortage within the week.
- Hospital resource utilization: 95% or greater hospital resources used in any of the following categories: ICU beds, inpatient beds and ventilators.
We believe these adjustments will provide an improved assessment of risk. As always, feedback is welcomed at covidhub@marc.org.