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SEATTLE (AP) – Record levels of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization in Washington state that began in early to mid-July appear to be flattening – but to a dangerous level.
The state continues to experience its highest rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations yet, stepping up calls for vaccination and masking again, the Seattle Times reported. Officials said on Wednesday that the leveling of the epidemiological curves was a welcome sight.
State epidemiologist Dr Scott Lindquist said that as of last week, the state was experiencing a seven-day average of about 180 hospitalizations per day, compared to an average of about 195 hospitalizations per day. day at the end of August.
“We’re not sure it’s going (to continue to) go down now… but this is the first good information we have that we are starting to see a downtrend,” Lindquist said.
Although the new figures are encouraging, he said he would be “very cautious” about the hope. “We haven’t gotten over this pandemic at all,” Lindquist added.
Even though infections and hospitalizations are starting to level off, they are at high levels. In early July, before the last wave, the state averaged about 30 new hospitalizations and 350 new cases per day. Since last week, epidemiologists and health officials have averaged about 3,000 new cases per day.
Meanwhile, state hospitals are canceling necessary surgeries and taking longer to deal with heart attacks and strokes, as COVID patients occupy so many beds.
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