KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Kansas Hospital has treated 59 people — including 11 people for frostbite, nine of whom were admitted to the Burnett Burn Center — during the last week for weather-related injuries.
The Kansas City region and wider Midwest has grappled with winter storms and an encroaching polar vortex, which plunged temperatures before 0 degrees for parts of the last four days.
According to the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department, 15 people were hospitalized after exposure during the Chiefs’ playoff win Saturday — which featured a minus-4-degree temperature and minus-27-degree wind chill at kickoff, the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.
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KU Hospital said it is awaiting approval from the Chiefs to release information about how many people were treated at its seven in-stadium aid stations during the frigid Super Wild Card win.
But the sub-0 temperatures refused to relent until Tuesday afternoon, keeping KU Hospital and other medical facilities in the region busy.
KU Hospital has treated 59 people for weather-related injuries since Jan. 9, including eight who were admitted for something other than frostbite.
The illness and injuries include exertion-induced heart attacks, shortness of breath, motor-vehicle crashes as well as slip-and-falls on ice in addition to frostbite.
KU Hospital said last Friday that one person found in the snow died. A second person found with the person who died has been discharged.
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