Vashon is safer, COVID-wise, than county, state and country
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Vashon’s COVID situation stands up well compared to King County, the state, and the rest of the country.
We continue to experience a steady stream of new cases each week, but our rate appears to have fallen into the Low/Green risk category as defined by the CDC. We use the words “appears to have fallen” since, as reported in previous editions, it’s likely that our case count is underreported because at-home COVID tests are not routinely reported to public health.
However, on the mainland, King County as a whole remains in the Medium/Yellow risk category with a case rate greater than 200 per 100,000 people per week, but a hospitalization rate less than 10 per 100,000 people per week. A higher hospitalization rate would have put King County into the High/Orange risk category. Fifteen of Washington’s 39 counties are now in the High/Orange risk category; the CDC advises people in those areas to begin wearing masks again in public indoor areas and on public transportation. The 15 high-risk counties include Pierce, as well as Clallam, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Lewis, Thurston, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Ferry, Lincoln, Spokane, Walla Walla, Columbia, and Asotin counties. (See chart, page 13.)
Could It Be Long COVID?
There’s no test for long COVID, and there’s no precise definition for it.
Typically, however, people with long COVID have symptoms that last longer than the usual week or two. Because of the lack of a precise definition, studies report different rates of long COVID, with estimates ranging from about 10% to as high as 50% of those who get COVID.
The CDC and many other experts suggest conducting recurring self-checks of symptoms after recovery from the initial bout of COVID to help determine if you may have developed long COVID. Some of the symptoms to check for, at bit.ly/CDClongCOVID, include the following.
• Tiredness, fatigue, or malaise
• Difficulty breathing, cough, or shortness of breath
• Chest pain or pounding heart
• Difficulty concentrating, brain fog, or headache
• Sleep problems
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Pins-and-needles feelings
• Change in smell or taste
• Depression or anxiety
• Stomach or bowel trouble
Obviously, each of these symptoms could be caused by other health problems. One reason to do the self-checks is to be able to ask your healthcare provider about your symptoms so other potentially serious issues can be ruled out. For example, heart symptoms might actually indicate heart disease rather than long COVID.
And, if the symptoms are from long COVID, there might be treatments your healthcare provider can suggest to ease discomfort and stave off serious illness.
By the Numbers
Vashon’s latest COVID statistics are here, culled from statistics from the King County Dashboard Source: Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC) and Vashon Emergency Operations Center. New and historic case counts shown here reflect test results from the public health reporting system which does not capture results from home tests.
19 = New cases reported since the last weekly report (42 new cases in 14 days).
1,041 = Total COVID cases for Vashon residents since the pandemic began.
20 = Patients hospitalized since the pandemic began.
5 = Deaths since the pandemic began.
92.6% = Percentage of Vashon residents age 5+ who have completed the primary vaccine series, compared to 86.4% of the King County 5+ population. 67.6% = Percentage of Vashon residents age 5+ who have added a booster shot to their completed primary series.
For King County, the PHSKC dashboard for the last 30 days says people who are not fully vaccinated are 1.5 times more likely to get COVID, seven times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID and 10 times more likely to die of COVID.
