Coping with COVID: New numbers reveal Missouri has nation’s highest rate of growth

The Show-Me state’s transmission rate of 1.26 indicates that each person infected is likely to infect 1.26 others, while Kansas sits at a transmission rate of 1.09, tying with four other states and D.C.

Missouri has attained the dubious distinction of having the nation’s highest rate of growth in the spread of the COVID-19 virus, according to new figures from a Web site tracking infection rates by state.

As of Sunday, the Show-Me State had a transmission rate, or Tr, of 1.26, indicating that each person infected, on average, was likely to infect 1.26 others. Rates above 1.0 on the scale used by rt.live indicate growth in the spread of the virus; those below 1.0 indicate the spread is receding.

Kansas, by comparison was one of four states and the District of Columbia with an Rt of 1.09, tied for 14th nationally.

The site included some hopeful information on three states that had seen explosive growth in hospitalizations and caseloads over the past month. Florida (.99), Arizona (.97) and Texas (.94) all have Rt factors below 1.0, suggesting the virus may be pulling back there. They are among a dozen states with sub-1.0 readings.

After a week that saw four consecutive days of more than 1,000 deaths each, the national toll fell under that level both Saturday and Sunday, a familiar weekend pattern that has marked daily metrics since the outbreak in early March.

But the recent rise in fatalities attributed to COVID-19 has pushed the rolling seven-day average to 937, up more than 81 percent over where it stood on July 5. Public-health officials will be closely monitoring additional deaths during this work week to see if the weekend-effect was just, or a possible indicator of a downturn in the trend line.

As of this morning, Missouri has recorded 1,233 deaths attributed to COVID-19; Kansas reports 332, according to data compiled by the site worldometers.com.