Coronavirus In Washington: The Week In Review

SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Health reported 4,261 new coronavirus cases Friday, accounting for two days worth of data after a pause for the Thanksgiving holiday. Friday's figures also included another 254 hospitalizations, and one death was removed from the state's official tally.

Over the last week, Washington diagnosed more than 18,000 COVID-19 illnesses, 84 deaths and reported 779 hospitalizations, according to state data.

For weeks leading up to the holiday, state and local leaders cautioned against participating in Thanksgiving celebrations with people outside the household, warning of a dire scenario in the weeks ahead if another spike were to occur amid an existing surge in illness and a swift rise in hospitalizations.

Public health experts fear an influx of post-holiday cases would push the health care system beyond its limits, threatening hospital capacity and hampering the ability to provide care for all who need it.

Even without accounting for the holidays, the situation across the United States continues to worsen. The COVID Tracking Project reported a new daily record of 194,000 coronavirus cases recorded across the United States Friday, 1,374 more dead and nearly 90,000 patients currently hospitalized.

Whether or not Washingtonians heeded those warnings remains to be seen, as it typically takes about two weeks for a full picture of all new infections to be reflected in the data. Another complicating factor, experts say, is the potential for "erratic" fluctuations in reported infections due to a steep dropoff in tests performed over the long holiday weekend.

Highest weekly case increases in Washington (Nov. 20 - Nov. 27)

• King County: +5,630 cases (+212 hospitalizations)

• Spokane County: +2,152 cases (+98 hospitalizations)

• Pierce County: +2,050 cases (+120 hospitalizations)

• Snohomish County: +1,788 cases (+83 hospitalizations)

• Clark County: +1,193 (+40 hospitalizations)

According to the risk assessment dashboard, Washington's rate of new cases is nearing 360 statewide — more than 14 times the target threshold — and all 39 counties currently show rates well into the highest transmission bracket.

In Seattle alone, Public Health - Seattle & King County recorded 211 cases Friday, with 2,182 positive tests, 78 hospitalizations and nine deaths resulting from the coronavirus over the past two weeks. The city's 14-day testing positivity rate sits at 6.3 percent, while the county's overall positivity rate has grown to 12.5 percent. The target threshold is 2 percent.

Catch up on a few of this week's headlines:

CDC finds US coronavirus infections could be 8 times higher than reported

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the real number of coronavirus infections between February and September may have been eight times higher than what was detected by lab tests.

In a paper published Wednesday, researchers wrote the disparity was likely due to a mixture of incomplete reporting, false negatives, asymptomatic cases and people with mild illness who never sought testing.

The Miami Herald reports the study determined just 13 percent of COVID-19 illnesses were successfully identified, while the real total could be as high as 53 million.

Read more in the Miami Herald.

Washington coronavirus spread accelerates at 'breakneck pace' as hospitalizations double

Washington's top health officials hosted a news conference just before Thanksgiving, flagging several concerning metrics found in the state's latest situation report.

Among the key findings was skyrocketing case counts on both sides of the Cascades, ballooning fourfold between mid-September and mid-November. The difference was even starker in Western Washington, where the seven-day "rolling average" of cases grew from 202 to 1,283 over the same period.

While the state's health care system has yet to reach its limits, health officials worry those days may arrive soon without a significant curb to transmission rates. The number of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases occupying hospital beds across the state has more than doubled since Nov. 1.

Read more: Coronavirus Surging At 'Breakneck Pace' In Washington: DOH

Washington looks to hire 350 contact tracers and case investigators

Dr. Scott Lindquist, the state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, said Wednesday that Washington would hire 350 new contact tracers and case investigators over the next two weeks to assist with the surge in work and improve the quality of the investigations.

The new hires will be assigned as needed, working either at the state level or sent to help local health jurisdictions. Lindquist said each investigator will be equipped with specific questions to identify potential "superspreader" events or problem areas and will provide infected people with some exact steps to take after a positive result.

First shipment of Pfizer vaccines scheduled for December

Washington is on track to receive the first shipments of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer within weeks, according to the Department of Health. In a news release, state officials said they expected 62,400 doses in the first shipment by mid-December, assuming the vaccine's emergency use authorization is granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

DOH expects another 200,000 doses by the end of December, with regular deliveries beginning in January. Officials said a special shipping container will also allow the vaccine to be kept in facilities that lack ultra-cold storage spaces.

To date, 54 providers are fully enrolled to help administer the vaccine, with many applications still pending approval. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies can still apply until Dec. 6.

Total coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths by county:

Editors note: Patch is now updating these totals on a weekly, rather than daily, basis. Readers should keep in mind that the increases below represent infections, hospitalizations and deaths over a seven-day period.

The above numbers are provided by the state Department of Health, and some numbers differ from the totals provided separately by county health agencies.

[NORECIRC]

This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch