Where Vashon stands now with respiratory virus season

Disease levels have started to trend downward following the holiday bump.

January 24, 2024 1:30 am
Vashon Island Fire Rescue (VIFR) Chief Matt Vinci (at front of room) opened the 2024 volunteer training year with a look at VIFR’s plans for the coming year (Michelle Bates photo).
Vashon Island Fire Rescue (VIFR) Chief Matt Vinci (at front of room) opened the 2024 volunteer training year with a look at VIFR’s plans for the coming year (Michelle Bates photo).

The King County dashboard for the current respiratory virus season paints a generally encouraging picture of disease levels of COVID, influenza (flu), and RSV. The data from Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) shows the usual annual uptick in disease following holiday gatherings. However, it has been moderate compared to the strong surges experienced a year ago. All three disease levels have started to trend downward following the holiday bump.

While downward trends are reassuring, individuals will want to take appropriate precautions (vaccinations, masking in crowded situations, hand-washing etc.) to protect themselves, their families and friends, and their community. We have provided below a reminder of some common-sense steps to take to protect yourself. Also, consult your healthcare provider to learn what else would be right for you.

Two Out of Three Above Alert Threshold

The charts shown here track the rates of viral respiratory diseases diagnosed during King County emergency department visits during the 2023-24 (purple lines) and 2022-23 (gold lines) seasons. The dotted red lines mark the alert thresholds and a rate above the red dotted lines indicates elevated risk and that people should take precautions as outlined below.

Flu and RSV are currently above their alert thresholds, indicating community transmission. All three graphs — for COVID, flu, and RSV — show that the holiday bump in King County disease levels was less severe this season than last season.

Free COVID/Flu Testing

Free COVID testing has returned to Vashon, even if you have no health insurance. Vashon Pharmacy owner Tyler Young reports that the Washington State Department of Health has extended the grant that covered pharmacy testing early on in the pandemic. In addition to COVID, the test simultaneously checks for flu from a single sample swab. You must go to the pharmacy to get the test. It is not a home test.

Testing helps in several ways. If you test positive, there’s no guessing. You know for sure that you need to stay away from others to prevent spread of the infection. In addition, Vashon Pharmacy has a “Test to Treat” authorization so pharmacists there can prescribe medicine to help you stave off severe disease and recover faster.

Available treatments include Paxlovid (COVID) or Tamiflu (flu) and you can take the medicine home with you immediately following a positive test result. Paxlovid must be started within five days, and Tamiflu within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms to be effective.

It’s always convenient to have home COVID tests on hand as well and you are more likely to test if you have a supply at home. If you haven’t already obtained all of yours, you can get up to eight (two orders of four) free home tests by going to COVID.gov.

Vashon Medical Reserve Corps recommends testing right away when symptoms appear, and again 48 hours later. If you test positive, isolate for at least 5 days and until you test negative.

Common-Sense Respiratory Virus Safety Measures

Fortunately, the basic common-sense steps we learned to take at the height of the COVID pandemic also work well during the current respiratory virus season to help prevent spread of RSV and flu.

  • Get vaccinated. There are updated vaccines for COVID, flu, and RSV. Getting vaccinated is the most effective thing you can do to keep yourself from getting really sick from these viruses.
  • Wearing a mask significantly reduces the chances of getting COVID, flu, or RSV.
  • If you are at higher risk, avoid indoor crowds. Infected people exhale infected air and that could infect you. The more people who are present, the higher the risk that someone has COVID, flu, or RSV, and could pass it on to you.
  • If you decide to host an indoor event, improve the air quality by running air purifiers and/or opening nearby windows.
  • Avoid large indoor crowds if you are susceptible because your immune system is weakened or you have other risk factors.
  • Avoid exposure to people who are sick. If you have symptoms, don’t expose others. Stay home until your fever is gone and you are feeling substantially better.

Vashon Disaster Volunteers Launch for 2024

Vashon EOC, CERT, MRC — these acronyms stand for Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and Auxiliary Communication Service (ACS, Ham Radio). Representatives from each group gathered on Jan. 10 at the monthly EOC Drill Night for a briefing on training plans for the year ahead.

Community-Based Preparedness Workshop

Nearly 60 Vashonites gathered on a frigid Saturday morning, on Jan. 13, for an all-day workshop to learn about getting prepared for everything from bad weather to earthquakes. Topics included how the island’s emergency response would work following a disaster, CERT’s action steps for household preparedness, the role of Neighborhood Emergency Response Organizations (NEROs), and disaster communications by ACS.