Hi everyone, Either I'm sleeping in bed or on the couch. Running a low grade fever with a headache. Drinking plenty of water, juice. I must be feeling better because I'm having the effects of a backache or butt pain from being in one position too long. Trying to bring some humor into the conversation.
The governor of Washington is considering mandatory measures to combat the virus. Not sure what that means for the people here in the Seattle area. Something about "social activities".
I found this news article on what is happening in Seattle area. (I'm not the greatest at coping and pasting.) Not sure how to condense.
Coronavirus: Death toll, confirmed cases increase in Washington
By:
KIRO 7 News Staff
Updated: March 9, 2020 - 8:30 AM
SEATTLE — The number of coronavirus cases continues to increase as more counties have been getting back test results.
On Sunday, the death toll in Washington state reached 19 and the confirmed cases, reported by the Washington Department of Health, hit at least 136.
Public Health - Seattle & King County said the two newest deaths in the county were both Life Care Center residents.
And it was only hours later, the Grant County Health District reported the county’s first death from the coronavirus. That number has not been included yet in the DOH death toll number of 18.
As reported by the DOH on Sunday, the current breakdown of cases by county is as follows: King County, 83; Snohomish County, 31; and Pierce County, four. Grant, Jefferson, Clark, and Kittitas all each report one confirmed case.
Additionally, there are 14 “unassigned” positive cases, according to the Department of Health’s website. The website did not clarify what exactly that term means.
The Kitsap Public Health District later reported its first positive coronavirus case, pending confirmation from the state health department. The person who tested positive is a Bainbridge Island resident.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord also announced Sunday evening a service member’s spouse, who resides off-base and has not recently visited JBLM, tested positive for the coronavirus Saturday.
Officials said the service member is also being tested, and he and his wife are in quarantine at home.
Sixteen of those who died in King County were residents of Life Care Center, a nursing home in Kirkland, according to Public Health - Seattle & King County. Researchers say the virus may have been circulating undetected for weeks.
State officials are
considering mandatory measures for social distancing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday in an interview on “Face the Nation.”
Here’s what we know now:
- Sixteen of the deaths in King County were linked to Life Care Center nursing facility in Kirkland. Federal authorities are investigating.
- Multiple schools have been closing for deep cleaning after potential coronavirus exposure. Click here to find a full list of school closures provided by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- Several universities in the region, including the University of Washington and Seattle University, said that classes will no longer be meeting in person through the end of winter quarter because of coronavirus concerns.
- Emerald City Comic Con is postponed until summer 2020. It was scheduled for mid-March in Seattle.
- Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued an emergency order to Washington state health insurers requiring them to waive copays and deductibles for anyone requiring testing for coronavirus.
- Public Health - Seattle & King County issued new guidelines that included advising at-risk populations, including people over 60 and pregnant women, to avoid large gatherings.
- Kaiser Permanente launched a coronavirus vaccine study in Seattle. Follow this link to complete the survey.
- Seattle and King County public health officials urged businesses to allow employees to work remotely if possible.
- The state is readying new facilities to quarantine those exposed to the virus, including a motel in Kent and modular housing units in White Center. Friday evening, Kent leaders wanted a restraining order to stop coronavirus patients from coming to Kent, but a King County Superior Court judge said 15 patients could be housed there.
- Health officials said there is not widespread transmission locally.
- KIRO 7 will send breaking news updates through the KIRO 7 News app, which you can download here.
>> 'Our families are dying:’ Relatives of residents at Kirkland facility share coronavirus concerns
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Coronavirus: Latest cases in Washington state
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Cases at senior living facilities and rehab centers
LifeCare Center in Kirkland held another press conference Sunday afternoon with updated numbers from the facility. Public Health - Seattle & King County has said that 16 of the deaths are linked to the facility. The center said it will continue daily 1 p.m. press conferences until further notice.
“Our experience so far shows that the virus is volatile, unpredictable, we’ve had patients within an hour time who showed no symptoms, going to acute symptoms, being transferred to the hospital and have had patients die relatively quickly,” press liaison Timothy Killian said Saturday.
As of Sunday afternoon, there are currently six residents in the facility with COVID-19 symptoms. The center said that 44 tests have been completed and 11 people still need to be tested.
RAW: LifeCare Center press conference March 8
Two other senior communities — the Ida Culver House Ravenna, a retirement home in northeast Seattle, and the Issaquah Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in suburban Issaquah, reported their first cases that had resulted in presumptive positive tests for COVID-19.
The Ida Culver House resident has been hospitalized since Wednesday, said the retirement community’s operator, Era Living. The facility has since doubled its disinfection and cleaning practices for common areas, canceled events, asked staff who were in contact with the patient to stay home, and canceled dining room meals — instead delivering food to its approximately 90 residents.
The Issaquah nursing home resident was hospitalized on Tuesday. Three firefighters who responded there have been quarantined but haven’t shown any symptoms, according to Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly.
Who is the virus affecting?
The Department of Health released a breakdown of coronavirus cases by age for the first time on Sunday. The vast majority of positive cases were in people 40 years of age and older, with the largest number of cases concentrated in people 80 years old and above.
Of the 136 cases confirmed on Sunday afternoon, 86 of those were in people age 50 and above.
Officials say the at-risk population appears to be older adults and those with preexisting medical conditions such as heart, lung or kidney disease.
Classes at some universities, colleges no longer meeting in person
Starting March 9, the University of Washington said though its campuses would remain open,
classes would no longer be meeting in person through the end of winter quarter on March 20. The university’s president said that remote learning will be utilized when possible, but also notified staff that in some cases, they may need to submit grades based on work.
Seattle Pacific University, Shoreline Community College and Pacific Lutheran University also announced that classes will be canceled or completed online.
Thursday afternoon, it was announced a
part-time CenturyLink Field employee tested positivefor coronavirus, King County officials said. The person worked at a Seattle Dragons game Feb. 22.
Amazon sent a message to its employees based in Seattle and Bellevue and who work in a role that can be done from home, to do so through the end of March. This recommendation comes in light of the new COVID-19 guidance from King County health officials. Boeing, Nordstrom, Starbucks and Microsoft also are having employees work from home in March.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center announced all employees at its South Lake Union campus should work remotely except in cases where their presence on campus is essential.
Boeing said it’s monitoring a small number of employees who had secondhand exposure to the coronavirus.
Information from government officials
Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday in an interview on “Face the Nation,” state officials are considering mandatory measures for social distancing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. He said people are responding well to warnings by voluntarily working from home or staying home when sick, and that communities are canceling events where the virus might be spread. But he said that might not be enough to prevent the virus from continuing to move through the population.
“We are looking to determine whether mandatory measures are required,” he said, but didn’t elaborate.
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene toured EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland on Saturday, where several coronavirus patients are in quarantine. As part of her tour, she met with more than a dozen doctors and nurses to discuss what the hospital has done during the crisis and what steps could be followed at other hospitals.
People in senior housing are considered especially susceptible because the disease caused by the new coronavirus is especially dangerous to the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday attended a round-table meeting with Gov. Jay Inslee, members of Washington’s congressional delegation and local officials.
The vice president was tasked by President Donald Trump to coordinate the U.S. government’s response to the outbreak.
“As the state of Washington, and the Seattle area in particular, deals with the coronavirus, we’re going to continue to make sure that you have the full support of every agency in the federal government," Pence said after touring the state’s emergency response center. “We know you’re the front line."
Watch the news conference with Gov. Inslee and Vice President Pence below.
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On Wednesday, the U.S. House passed spending bill to support the response to COVID-19 around the country, which included $950 million for state and local public health agencies. Washington state will immediately receive $11.5 million for the work public health agencies have done to combat the outbreak since January. The state will also be eligible for continued resources as it works to limit the spread of the virus.
The legislation also includes a provision that allows $1 billion in loan subsidies to be made available to help small businesses, including shellfish growers, trade-dependent manufacturers, and others that have been hit with financial losses as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Why aren’t schools closed?
Gov. Inslee said Thursday that he is deferring the decision to close schools across the state to school administrators, but that could change at any time.
“For those who have wondered why I have not made that decision today, it is because we are still evaluating the efficacy of that,” he said. “We’re also weighing this against the needs for childcare. It is profoundly a challenge for families already.”
Inslee encouraged schools to explore the possibility of online teaching methods while they weigh the risks of sending children to their schools.
State and regional health officials have not recommended closing schools. They say children are unlikely to get very sick if they get COVID-19.
“The reason we are not recommending school closures is because children have not been shown to be a high risk group,” said Patty Hayes, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County.
Health officials say when schools closed for the H1N1 outbreak, children gathered anyway somewhere else and families faced big disruptions.
“We know more about the downsides than we do about the benefits at this point” of school closures, said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County.
Some schools, businesses and other employers aren’t waiting.
School officials are recommending students and parents contact the school or school district website directly.
Officials with Tacoma Public Schools said Mary Lyon Elementary would be closed March 9-10 because a staff member tested presumptive positive.
Click here to find a full list of school closures provided by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
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How you can protect yourself and what to do if you think you were exposed
Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Patients reportedly have mild to severe respiratory illness.
These are steps health officials recommend to protect yourself:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
- Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
- Stay at home and away from others if you are feeling ill.
- Washington State Department of Health: What to do if you have confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease
- Washington State Department of Health: What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with confirmed coronavirus disease
- “If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, call your healthcare provider. Isolate yourself and wear a mask before leaving the house. Do not go to the emergency room. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs,” Public Health - Seattle & King County said.
- If you are in King County and believe you were exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, or if you’re a healthcare provider with questions about COVID-19, contact their coronavirus call center: 206-477-3977. The call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- For general concerns and questions about COVID-19, call the Washington State Novel Coronavirus Call Center at 800-525-0127 and press #.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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