Department of Health
- An announcement will be made later today, and the website updated to show an additional (6) positive COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County. This brings the county total up to 25.
Case / Test Data
- Jeff Co. has a higher level of testing than do most rural counties.
- Expectations are that we will experience a factor of 10X (250 in total during the whole outbreak) or more in positive cases.
- Percent of positive cases per total tested is running at about 50% of statewide levels.
- Washington is doing 10K tests a day… will be 2x that by next week.
- Tests are being processed at UofW and local specialized testing locations for quick turn-around
- National testing labs are no longer being used due to response time of test results which have run as high as 14 days.
Advisories:
- 20% of people that are infected are a-symptomatic (no symptoms) or pre-symptomatic the 2 days prior to feeling any symptoms when your body is shedding the virus.
- It is crucial to adhere to organized precaution efforts for the next 7 weeks.
- King County cases expected to peak mid-April
- Jefferson County cases expected to peak end of April
- Highest risk of exposure will be during the next 4 weeks.
- Case rates are climbing
- Try to avoid:
- In person grocery shopping during the next 4 weeks
- Crowded areas even while social distancing
- Vacation homes or short-term rentals.
- If you are sick, do not leave your home.
- Malaria drugs:
- Testing should have results in two weeks.
- These drugs could have some very serious, negative, unintended effects
- Deaths from COVID-19 continue to be greater in the over 65 age group, with the 80+ being significant.
Updated protocol on grocery store visits.
- If you do need to go to a grocery store:
- Wash or sanitize your hands prior to going in the store
- If wearing gloves, wash or sanitize those prior to going into the store
- Adhere to the 6-foot social distancing protocol
- Be aware that stores may be implementing one-way isles to help with distancing.
- Do not touch anything unless you are taking it. especially perishables.
- Wear a mask if you are comfortable in doing so.
Personal Protection Updates:
- Washington State has a stronger supply of PPE – and has developed a more robust vendor supply chain.
- Gloves – Non-medical personal that wear gloves often do not wash their hands enough due to a false sense of security that glove wearing gives.
- Masks are good for source control but offer a false sense of security because of improper human use.
- Masks can increase the risk of infectious spread if people touch the insides where droplets have been deposited.
- Homemade masks with some filtering media between inner and outer layers are more relevant and act more like surgical masks.
- Homemade masks should be thoroughly disinfected, washed and dried after each use.
- People tend not to practice social distancing when wearing masks due to a false sense of security.
Jefferson Healthcare:
- Has been planning for the surge that is likely to take place this month.
- Only a limited number of infected patients have been admitted.
- Although they normally only have 25 beds, there are ways in an emergency, to increase that number substantially
- There are limited ventilators, however the number is enough for immediate requirements.
- Jefferson Health is part of an area hospital collective which share resources or take overflow patients if needed.