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In this October 28, 2020 file photo, a worker wearing gloves, face shield, mask and other PPE administer a COVID-19 test at a King County coronavirus test site in Auburn, Wash., south of Seattle. (AP Photo / Ted S. Warren, file)
State and county health officials held an “urgent” COVID-19 response briefing on Tuesday to discuss the rates of accelerated transmission of COVID-19 in Washington state.
The briefing press release said “time is running out to turn the tide and flatten the curve.” The state and individual counties have reported a record number of cases in recent weeks, reaching or exceeding the number seen at the start of the pandemic. King, Pierce and Snohomish counties have all reported record highs and only expect their numbers to continue to rise.
Public health official Dr Kathy Lofy said the total number of daily tests had remained stable as new cases exploded, so the accelerated cases were not due to an increase in testing but “a actual increase in disease ”.
“Cases continue to accelerate in the wrong direction, and it is better to brake before crashing and not after,” Medical Officer of Health Dr Jeff Duchin said late last week, adding that “the risk of acquiring COVID-19 today is higher now than it has ever been.
The main concern, as health officials have expressed, is a potential increase in hospitalizations that could strain our healthcare system and overwhelm local hospitals. Hospitalizations are increasing statewide, Dr. Lofy said, and it’s typical that when the number of cases accelerates, hospitalizations follow. This is especially true now, Lofy added, as cases are on the rise in all age groups, indicating that “transmission is very widespread in our community.”
It also indicates, as Lofy explained, that we will see a lot more hospitalizations and possibly deaths, as the older age groups who are more likely to be hospitalized or suffer from severe complications from COVID- 19 are affected by this outbreak.
“We can’t give up,” Lofy said, reminding everyone of the importance of limiting contact outside your home and wearing a mask. She said ideally we would all stop socializing for the next few weeks to flatten the curve again.
If behaviors don’t change, Lofy warned that “we’ll have to take action that will hurt our economy, and no one wants to do it again.”
A press release from the State Department of Health also suggests that “People who wish to visit family for Thanksgiving should limit themselves to the most essential activities now, and essentially quarantine for two weeks before even a small gathering. outside.
Find tips for safer gatherings and alternative celebrations here.
With growing concerns about the increase in COVID-19 cases across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released advice on how families should handle the holiday season, advising against large gatherings.
“Unfortunately, the COVID-19 epidemic is worsening and small household gatherings are a major contributor to the increase in COVID-19 cases,” the CDC warns. Read the CDC’s full recommendations here.
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