Since the first case of the omicron variant was detected in the U.S., new daily cases of COVID-19 have hit new highs. To date, 81,519,474 Americans are confirmed to have been infected with the virus — and over 1 million have died as a result. On a per capita basis, the U.S. has one of the highest known infections rates in the world.
In the Topeka metropolitan area, located in Kansas, a total of 62,926 COVID-19 cases have been reported to date. Adjusted for population, there have been 26,977 reported infections for every 100,000 people in the area — above the national rate of 24,917 cases per 100,000 people.
Though per capita cases of COVID-19 are higher in Topeka than they are nationwide, some parts of the metro area are safer than others.
The broader Topeka metro area comprises five counties or county equivalents — and of them, Wabaunsee County in Kansas has the fewest COVID-19 cases per capita. So far, there have been a total of 1,640 confirmed infections in Wabaunsee County, or 23,810 for every 100,000 people.
Though Wabaunsee County has the lowest per capita infection rate in the Topeka metro area, its per capita fatality rate is closely in line with the regional average.
There have been a total of 334 coronavirus-related deaths for every 100,000 people in Wabaunsee County, compared to 345 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 across the entire Topeka metro area.
All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of May 16, 2022.
These are all the counties in Kansas where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).
| Rank | Geography | COVID cases per 100,000 people | Total cases | Deaths per 100,000 people | Total deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wabaunsee County, KS | 23,810 | 1,640 | 334 | 23 |
| 2 | Osage County, KS | 24,720 | 3,926 | 353 | 56 |
| 3 | Jefferson County, KS | 25,535 | 4,823 | 334 | 63 |
| 4 | Shawnee County, KS | 27,279 | 48,634 | 355 | 633 |
| 5 | Jackson County, KS | 29,306 | 3,903 | 225 | 30 |
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