Growing coronavirus activity in King County, health officials warn

King County, WA — After the third wave of infection, coronavirus disease has steadily declined and reached a plateau in mid-February, the number of cases has been on the rise again in King County.

Dr. Jeff Duchin, a health officer in King County, elaborated on the indicators of concern at Friday’s weekly briefing, especially as variants gain momentum and vaccines are still weeks away. Mentioned stable timing.

“Last week, the forecast was mostly sunny and could have rained,” Duchin said on Friday. “this week, [it’s] It’s still mostly sunny, but there are storm clouds on the horizon. “

According to Duchin, the tendency of daily cases has increased by about 13% in the last two weeks, and the majority of infections in adults between the ages of 18 and 49 have clearly increased.State health officials point out that young adults have a similar tendency. Washington as a whole..

The bright spot in King County’s data is the sharp decline in cases in the older and more vulnerable age group, with a 40% decline in the same time frame. Duchin recognizes the county’s success in immunizing most of the elderly due to dramatic changes.

Although young people are much less likely to die of COVID-19 disease, he warned that such infections could still pose a serious health risk.

“Vaccines have significantly reduced the threat to our most vulnerable older people, but COVID-19 can still cause tremendous damage to the rest of us if we are depressed now. There is sex, “Duchin said. “COVID-19 is not a benign disease for young adults. The hospitalization rate for COVID-19 is 20 times higher than the hospitalization rate for influenza between the ages of 18 and 49.”

Duchin also pointed out Study from the University of Washington, It was found that 30% of the participants experienced long-term symptoms, or “long COVID”. This can affect quality of life after the first illness.

The recent increase in the number of cases is also consistent with the prevalence of more infectious mutants, including those believed to cause more serious illness. That reality can quickly bring about a snowball effect, mixed with more indoor and social activities that will resume when Washington reaches the third reopening stage.

“As far as I can tell, this pandemic isn’t over. The risk hasn’t gone away. The virus is still there and more harmful variants are on the rise. Current infection rates are still high, with thousands of people. There are infected people. COVID-19 in King County every day. Optimism is great and important, and in the coming months we will move towards a better, safer and healthier era. Optimism cannot blind our reality and uncertainty. Our situation. We still have too many opportunities to spread the virus, and increasing variants is a dangerous combination. is.”

Duchin said more and more incidents are already related to social gatherings, local events, visits to restaurants and bars, and increased travel.

“Since January, travel-related cases have increased from 3% to 7%,” he said. “In that context, I would like to emphasize the CDC’s current travel guidance, especially as spring break is approaching and I know there are multiple variations of concern both domestically and internationally.”

Federal guidance continues to advise on non-essential travel. Those who choose to travel must be tested 1-3 days before travel and 3-5 days after returning to Japan and quarantined while waiting for results.

“If you do too much activity without taking precautions, COVID-19 will rebound,” Duchin said. “So remember the face mask, understand the importance of ventilation, open the doors, open the windows and limit the time with others in the crowded indoor air space. Which of these diseases is in the air? It is very important to remember how it spread. “

King County has prepared for three vaccination efforts, but eligibility is still out of supply

King County is ready to take further vaccination advances this week and significantly step up its efforts if deliveries can keep up with demand. According to the latest data, more than 530,000 King County adults have been vaccinated at least once, and nearly 16 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

Success is particularly pronounced among the elderly, with 83% of people over the age of 75 receiving at least one dose and 78% of people between the ages of 65 and 74. Group, some regional disparities have improved. According to Duchin, vaccination rates for adults aged 65 and over in South King County are comparable to those in Bellevue, Issaquah and Mercer Island.

Washington this week Entered Phase 1 B2Extending eligibility to more important workers, pregnant people, and people with disabilities who put them at higher risk. With the addition of a new group, Duchin estimated that currently approximately 400,000 unvaccinated residents are eligible for the first shot. March 31 An additional 2 million Washingtons Qualified.

However, federal deliveries have not kept pace with growing needs. Currently, Duchin estimates that the county received one dose for every eight currently eligible. This is the ratio that is expected to improve in the end.

On Thursday, state health officials said the federal government had promised a significant increase in deliveries in April. This could almost double the number of doses sent to Washington each week. Some speed bumps may remain until supply catches up with demand.

“Everyone who gets qualified needs to understand that the qualification is not guaranteed access,” Duchin said. “Under no circumstances can we pretend that we have the right and right number of doses to vaccinate everyone in need.

The good news is that the county can already dramatically increase its vaccination efforts if supply permits.

“Probably we can distribute three times as many as we currently manage,” Duchin said. “Once these doses are available, we will be able to retrieve them much more efficiently.”

Seattle’s Lumen Field Event Center is fully operational and ready to provide 23,000 vaccinations daily. Duchin said on Friday that the county could add up to eight large numbers of sites as needed, add more community vaccine events, and expand its mobile outreach efforts.

Duchin also dealt with a shooting at a spa in Atlanta at a briefing on Friday, Broader trends in violent crime For Asian Americans and Pacific Islands people found locally and nationwide.

“Recent news about increasing hate crimes, discrimination and violence targeting Asia-Pacific communities, both nationally and locally, is serious anxiety and shame. From the early days of the pandemic here, foreigners Exclusions, blame, and racial discriminators’ targets Racial discrimination and violence are not only affecting the physical and mental health of many in the community, but also because racial discrimination and violence are racial discrimination and violence. We understand that it can exacerbate violence and bring additional trauma to the color community. For public health issues, as a health officer, violence and discriminatory remarks, and for race and hometown. I would like to add my voice to condemn such actions taken to harm someone. Many of our community members, and I and all my colleagues here, are with you. We are in solidarity. “