King County: COVID-19 Infection Rate High In Young Adults
SEATTLE, WA — King County has seen a surge in new coronavirus cases since it entered Phase 2 of the governor's Safe Start plan and began reopening many nonessential businesses, jumping from an average of 40 cases a day to more than 130.
Friday, health officials confirmed the new cases have been overwhelmingly in young adults and shared a warning: take this virus seriously before the situation spirals out of control.
According to Public Health - Seattle & King County, the latest batch of coronavirus cases can be broken down as:
1/3 were in patients aged 20-29
1/2 were in patients aged 20-39
3/4 of all cases are in patients under 40
That so many cases are in younger residents is a double-edged sword: younger adults are less likely to be hospitalized or die from the virus, but they're also more mobile and could spread the virus to vulnerable populations.
"As the infections spread into older adults or others who have high risk conditions, we may see that change," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Public Health Officer for Seattle - King County. "This virus doesn't stay in one group, it won't stay in one group."
As the infection rate has grown, hospitalizations have seen a slight rise in King County. The county is reporting that, over the past two weeks, 1.3 out of every 100,000 residents have been hospitalized, up from .8 patients the two weeks before. Health officials admit that's not a huge jump but say it's still a warning sign that residents need to take this virus more seriously.
"No one wanted this COVID-19 Pandemic, but we are stuck with it," said Duchin.
Duchin says there are essentially three situations where the coronavirus can spread: at work, in social or public gatherings, and in the home. Two of those, the county has a handle on. There are protocols in place that have helped to stop workplace outbreaks and contract tracers have been able to prevent infections from spreading through households, but infections in public spaces remain a problem.
"We need to fundamentally change the way we interact with each other," said Duchin.
Perhaps surprisingly, health officials say the spike in infections is likely unrelated to the recent mass protests. According to public health, Seattle tested over 4,000 protesters for the coronavirus, and found that only .2 percent of protesters tested positive for the virus, well under the normal positivity rate. To put that in perspective, normally about 5.9 percent of coronavirus tests come back positive across Washington. Part of the reason the infection rate at those gatherings is so low can be attributed to their setting: the virus spreads much easier indoors where it can settle on high-touch surfaces. That said, Duchin says protesters still should consider how to express themselves safely when choosing to gather.
"We are concerned any time large groups gather," said Duchin.
He and other public health officials are urging everyone to reconsider if they really need to meet up with others before choosing to do so. They're also working to expand education and enforcement of safety policies in public spaces, workplaces and restaurants. That effort includes a new program performing spot checks at restaurants to better enforce compliance, and a 'safety checklist' that health officials hope will better explain the ways workplaces can keep their employees safe.
But more than enforcement or punishment, health officials are hoping that people will make the right choice and follow safety guidelines, wearing masks in public, washing their hands and practicing better hygiene to protect against the virus.
"If we don't deal with it, it will deal with us," said Duchin.
This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch
