King County Coronavirus Rates Remain 'Unacceptably High'

SEATTLE — King County may have avoided a post-Thanksgiving surge in coronavirus, but a third wave in illness continues, and the public health situation remains precarious, according to the county's health officer.

Dr. Jeff Duchin hosted his weekly COVID-19 briefing Friday, highlighting the latest trends in transmission rates, hospitalizations and deaths.

"Although the momentum of our outbreak has slowed over the past two weeks, we continue at a dangerous and unacceptably high level of COVID-19 transmission," Duchin said. "Our hospitals are stressed, and they're canceling surgeries, and they're continuing to develop emergency staffing plans and prepare for the possibility of a worsening crisis."

As the winter holidays near, Duchin said he was encouraged to see how many people kept Thanksgiving celebrations small and avoided travel, and hoped the same habits would hold through the holidays and into the new year until transmission is substantially reduced.

"I want to thank all of you for doing what you can to prevent the spread of illness at this time and the further spread as we go into these difficult months," Duchin said. "I know many of you joined me and changed your Thanksgiving plans and gathered more safely. I believe those actions and the effect of our recent restrictions in Washington have helped limit the spread of COVID-19 over the holiday weekend. Continuing to practice [precautions] in all aspects of our lives will be essential to protect our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, as is happening in many parts of the country."

Reviewing recent epidemiologic trends, Duchin said several concerning markers remain and continue to grow. While case counts have fallen slightly from the pre-Thanksgiving peak, the county recorded an average of 650 cases every day over the last week. On Friday, the county reported more than 900 positive tests, with 45 new hospitalizations and 12 more dead.

Duchin said at least 350 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients are hospitalized in King County. Although the county's health care system has yet to be pushed beyond capacity, any surge in patients could change that. UW Medicine said Friday its facilities were caring for 124 of those patients, a total higher than the peak of 122 the hospital system reached in the spring.

"It's terrifying for me to think that any one of us or our loved ones would not get the life-saving medical care we expect if we need it, but that remains a distinct possibility," Duchin said. "We all need to understand the reality of that fact if we are to avoid it."

Duchin said deaths have also trended up, with seven reported daily on average. Not long ago, that figure was below two.

While a vaccine is on the horizon, Duchin said it was vital to remain vigilant well into the new year to prevent unnecessary illness and death until enough people are immunized to make a real difference.

"The painful reality is that COVID-19 continues to pose a deadly threat, both locally and nationally," Duchin said. "The virus is not going to relent in the next few months and we can't either."

The same public health guidance shared for Thanksgiving should be adhered to over Christmas, Duchin said, including avoiding travel, which carries "significant risk," and indoor gatherings with those outside the household.

For those who want to gather with friends or family, Friday also marked the beginning of the 14-day quarantine window.

"Gathering with the household, people who live in your home, is the safest way," Duchin said. "If you're going to gather with others, this is the time to start your quarantine, to be sure your gift to someone you love isn't a COVID-19 infection."

The biggest piece of good news, Duchin said, is the imminent delivery of the first vaccine shipments. The Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization to Pfizer Friday evening, prompting a final independent review step and the first vaccines arriving as early as next week. That tool will be crucial, Duchin said, but change will not happen overnight.

"There will be many months before enough people are vaccinated to stop the outbreak," Duchin said. "In that time, we must understand that it's essential to continue taking all the same precautions around mask use, limiting or gatherings with others, staying away from crowded indoor spaces and improving ventilation, that we're taking currently, until the time that virus transmission is suppressed to such a degree that we can consider easing up on those precautions."

Under state and federal guidelines, the first group eligible to receive vaccines are health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Plans for the next groups are still being finalized.