CORONAVIRUS: Friday 7/17 roundup

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

20 weeks ago tonight, King County announced its first confirmed coronavirus case. We start tonight’s roundup with the numbers:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:

*12,807 people have tested positive, 215 more than yesterday

*624 people have died, 3 more than yesterday

*1,790 people have been hospitalized, 40 more than yesterday

*231,848 people have been tested, 4.656 more than yesterday

One week ago, those totals were 11,632/603/1,674/201,745.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 14 million cases, 601,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.

‘EXPLOSIVE SITUATION’: That’s where things stand if you look at our state as a whole, according to the latest “situation report” (see it here). The report also warns, ” If current trends continue, we expect that schools will not be able to reopen safely in the fall.”

POSITIVE TEST AT THE KENNEY: The senior-living center announced tonight that a staff member has tested positive for COVID-19.

ENFORCEMENT: The city has a new plan to step up enforcement of health rules for non-food businesses.

GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!

Stay well July 17, 2020 (10:11 pm)

New hospitalizations totals over last 3 days…

7/15 = 25 (more than previous day)
7/16 = 19 …
7/17 = 40 …

For comparison, same days 2 weeks ago…

7/1 = 11
7/2 = 6
7/3 = 4

And 2 weeks before that…

6/17 = -1
6/18 = 6
6/19 = 3

*Note: data referenced from WSB. Numbers are an estimate, as the data is continually being updated by the DOH and adjusted both up and down.

Wsmom July 17, 2020 (11:43 pm)

We should go back to phase 1. Not popular but necessary.
- Greg Sprinkles July 18, 2020 (5:46 am)
  
  Going backwards is illogical. What do you think it will accomplish, other than delaying the spread?
  - Sara July 18, 2020 (11:16 am)
    
    Greg Sprinkles, I think delaying the spread is a great goal. Keeping new cases and deaths down (and hospital beds empty) until we have a vaccine would ideal.
    - Greg Sprinkles July 18, 2020 (3:16 pm)
      
      It’s simply not feasible to stay in phase 1 until a vaccine is widely available over a virus with a ~99.95% survival rate for the vast majority of society (per the CDC). The secondary effects would be incredibly severe. It’s naive to even think that’s a possibility. Therefore, a return to phase 1 accomplishes almost nothing other than unnecessary economic, societal, and even health problems (for every medical issue other than COVID, which have all been neglected). There are very real consequences to another shutdown. It’s not a binary issue.
    - Molly July 18, 2020 (8:13 pm)
      
      It’s illogical to think that there won’t already be severe economical impacts from this. Give it 6 more months of this level of “openness” with no vaccine and half the businesses that are still open will start shutting down. There is going to be a crash.
    - Gwen July 18, 2020 (5:39 pm)
      
      @ Greg Sprinkles “for every medical issue other than COVID, which have all been neglected.” This just isn’t true. Folks aren’t being turned away for health issues. They might suggest you have an e-visit if the situation isn’t dire, but they are allowing up to 30% in-person appointments at Kaiser Permanente right now (I know because I had one last month). Elective surgeries were safe to resume at the end of April. But a surge in hospitalizations, as we’ve begun to see over the past few days, completely could choke up the medical system, keeping people from the care they need.
  - psps July 18, 2020 (11:26 am)
    
    Actually, if everyone wore a mask and practiced social distancing when out and, otherwise, stayed at home for a period of time, there would be no “spread” at all. In fact, there would be no coronavirus left anymore.
    
    When a virus runs out of available hosts to infect, it dies and goes away. Admittedly, that’s virtually impossible to do because not everyone would comply. So, until there’s a vaccine, it’s the best that can be done to reduce the spread, not “delay” as you inaccurately describe it.
    
    Fewer available hosts = less (not delayed) spread. This is not a new discovery at all. The same thing happened with the 1918 flu and polio, both of which are essentially gone now.
    
    Sadly, this has turned into come kind of dystopian litmus test for MAGA or something like that.
  - Delridge Resident July 18, 2020 (11:28 am)
    
    Based on the King County dashboard, COVID activity and testing capacity aren’t trending in the right direction. If the data supports it we should absolutely go back to Phase 1, and the governor indicated another shutdown isn’t off the table. He’s only resorting to enforcement after a meaningful enough number of people continue to flout the guidance already in place. https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/data/key-indicators.aspx
  - Bradetta July 18, 2020 (11:55 am)
    
    According to the scientific experts if we stop everything for four weeks and inly essential people who must be out wear masks- this virus has nowhere to go and it stops. This is how New Zealand beat the virus.

Stay well July 17, 2020 (11:40 pm)

Please everyone, make sure you have masks considered to be most effective in mitigating spread of C19.

‘Cotton, the most widely used material for cloth masks performs better at higher weave densities (i.e., thread count) and can make a significant difference in filtration efficiencies. Our studies also imply that gaps (as caused by an improper fit of the mask) can result in over a 60% decrease in the filtration efficiency, implying the need for future cloth mask design studies to take into account issues of “fit” and leakage, while allowing the exhaled air to vent efficiently. Overall, we find that combinations of various commonly available fabrics used in cloth masks can potentially provide significant protection against the transmission of aerosol particles.’

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.0c03252

Also, fyi, those masks with the valve, do not protect others, please replace those.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/why-simple-cloth-masks-without-valves-are-better-at-fighting-the-spread-of-covid-19/2020/06/26/c445fca6-b574-11ea-aca5-ebb63d27e1ff_story.html

Jethro Marx July 18, 2020 (2:06 am)

You have picked a rather random and irrelevant section of the abstract to quote- did you actually read the whole paper? It seemed to me that the salient (or at least most interesting) part was what the authors found regarding effectiveness of hybrid masks, and their supposition that it was due to electrostatic charging. While the study tested filtration of a swath of particle sizes for various materials and combinations of materials, it did not speak to, and indeed the article would not have been published if the authors even claimed to be proving, which masks were “…most effective at mitigating C19.” (Whatever that means!) That is some nonsensical hyperbole that no responsible scientist would utter. Yes, wear a mask; wash your hands; don’t be uppity about it. And probably don’t summarize articles you haven’t read or repackage cherry-picked data out of context because it’s bad for our community. That’s the community of science, and also the community of humans who value truth.
- Stay well July 18, 2020 (12:07 pm)
  
  I’m always a little surprised at hateful reactions to benign, helpful, and non political comments.
  
  ‘You have picked a rather random and irrelevant section of the abstract to quote-‘
  
  No, I didn’t pick a random and irrelevant section. I chose to share this for two reasons.
  
  1. It is what they shared in the Abstract, what they lead with in the summary of their article, and it reads as highly relevant.
  
  2. Cloth masks have become quite prevalent, and in fact it’s what is generally being recommended by the CDC and by our governor, so sharing with people what makes cloth masks more effective seems relevant to me.
  
  If tightly woven cotton, two layers, and a better fitting mask helps makes masks more effective (as their article suggests), seems reasonable to share this and encourage others to consider making these adaptations.
  
  ‘…it did not speak to, and indeed the article would not have been published if the authors even claimed to be proving, which masks were “…most effective at mitigating C19.”’
  
  Now who is being ‘uppity?’
  
  The researchers say, in the quote I shared… ‘Overall, we find that combinations of various commonly available fabrics used in cloth masks can potentially provide significant protection against the transmission of aerosol particles.’C19 is spread in aerosol particles.
  
  Therefore, this could also read as… cloth masks can potentially provide significant protection against the transmission of C19.</span
  
  ‘That is some nonsensical hyperbole that no responsible scientist would utter. Yes, wear a mask; wash your hands; don’t be uppity about it.’
  
  Really? You think ‘ Yes, wear a mask; wash your hands; don’t be uppity about it,’ is more scientific sounding?
  
  Well, I disagree.
  
  And I also disagree with your insulting rhetorics in this community.
  - WS Guy July 18, 2020 (10:22 pm)
    
    Sorry I know you mean well, but the problem is that your summaries tend to be inaccurate or unsubstantiated and are thus not helpful. I think that creates backlash, like when the gov inflated the dangers of marijuana and caused kids to disregard the message that it is unhealthy.
    
    The WSB itself would be better off explaining the data it is repeating. It makes it seem like 40 people were hospitalized yesterday but that is not the case. 40 were reported yesterday, but those fell on a variety of prior days.
    
    Hospitalizations are trending up a bit which is notable, but it’s better to look at the chart than the daily reports, as you can see.
    - WSB July 18, 2020 (11:08 pm)
      
      Look at the data any way you want; the county and state offer it in many ways. I prefer just plain simple #’s; that’s what we’ve done for 4 months and that’s what we’ll continue to do. Charts are subjective; there’s no objective measure such as “10 pixels in height equals five cases,” and even what you have screengrabbed shows peaks that, if you don’t look at the left side, appears to have been stratospheric heights but were still “only” double digits, as were the past couple days (which this chart does NOT include).
    - Stay well July 18, 2020 (11:52 pm)
      
      Right on WSB. If you read this chart, the highest peak is 55, the other day we had a day of 40 reported. If the chart was up to date, you would be able to see what some of us are concerned about, that we are seeing a spike in reported hospitalizations that we haven’t seen in awhile.
      
      Its great that for the previous couple months numbers were trending better, that means transmission was lower and fewer people were impacted. But right now things are shifting in a concerning way, and it makes sense, at least to some of us, to be aware and discuss that.
    - Stay well July 18, 2020 (11:36 pm)
      
      ‘but the problem is that your summaries tend to be inaccurate or unsubstantiated and are thus not helpful.’
      
      Ws guy, what you’ve said about my postings is not accurate.
      
      And, the reason why my comments receive backlash is because I share strong information that is not in line with some peoples narrative, political beliefs, or alternative news sources.
      
      I haven’t ‘inflated’ the danger of anything. I have shared information from reputable sources and have expressed a reasonable level of concern, that many others share in.
      
      If you don’t feel the same, that is your choice, but it doesn’t make me wrong for having a different level of awareness and concern than you.
    - miws July 19, 2020 (8:58 am)
      
      Sorry I know you mean well…
      
      Geez, WS Guy, condescending much? Also, could you share with all of us your experience in professional journalism, like years of experience, and media organizations you’ve operated or worked for? —Mike
- Stay well July 18, 2020 (12:31 pm)
  
  And, yes, the article goes into much more depth and specificity around different fabric types and combinations of fabrics that seem to be even more effective.
  
  I shared the link to the article, so people can read for themselves and dig in if they choose. I wasn’t trying to mislead in any way. Perhaps I should have been more comprehensive in what I shared. However, there is something to be said for simplifying.
  
  I shared what I did as a starting point for people to have more information to improve their mask wearing. I think even if many people upgraded their current masks to what I shared, it would make a difference.
  
  I am not a scientist. I am a concerned community member, and I stand by sharing relevant information that may be of some help.
  - Jethro Marx July 19, 2020 (1:01 am)
    
    We can tell you’re not a scientist; I say that not with malice, but because you are trying to speak with authority in a language you do not know. It is poor practice to quote from the abstract; it is worse by far to completely misrepresent a study’s findings to an audience largely unfamiliar with and unlikely to read it for themselves. It is too bad that you are trying to make a point that is more or less true; it IS important to wear a mask, and there IS very interesting research being done on both mask efficacy and Coronavirus transmission, but the way you are trying to interpret and deliver these facts (and your “common sense” data analysis) is harming the public. I’m sorry if you feel hated on or whatever, but I don’t care about what “sounds more scientific”, I care about the integrity of science, and also how scientific findings are communicated to the public at large. I am a scientist and engineer, and those are my interests- not political beliefs or personal narratives or alternative news or whatever other ways you choose to pigeonhole and dismiss those who object to your rhetoric.
    - Stay well July 19, 2020 (6:19 am)
      
      I was not speaking as a scientist or trying to sound like I have any scientific authority.
      
      I was however confident that this was helpful information to share, and I stand by that.
      
      This isn’t a scientific forum so no, I do not need to be held to and critiqued as if this is one.
      
      I’m sorry you don’t appreciate the information I’ve shared or how I share it. I hope it’s of interest and helpful to others.
      
      If you are a scientist and engineer, I would think you could make more valuable contributions here, than waiting for opportunities to knock down and critique others, who are just doing their best to share relevant and helpful information, as a concerned community member.
    - anna11223344 July 19, 2020 (10:41 am)
      
      I do find Jethro’s comments relevant and helpful. It seems like some want people to be alarmed and concerned about certain data (ie the increase in hospitalizations) in the same way that they are bc perhaps they think that if everyone is alarmed then we will all be safer and “beat” the virus. I appreciate when others question this approach, especially when they have more brain power to dedicate to their thoughts and responses than I do. I appreciate the WSB for keeping us informed, and I appreciate those who present the data in a different way. I wear a mask, and even have had some success with getting my daughter to wear a mask, but I also am not alarmed that the virus is spreading (if masks are even 60% effective at preventing the spread of the virus, and 90% of people are wearing masks, the virus is still going to spread) and do hope that as doctors continue to learn more about treating patients, the death rate will continue to decrease.
Emy July 18, 2020 (6:18 am)

If our safety was actually a concern we’d be getting shipments of masks delivered to every home, not telling people simple cotton strips are just as good.
- AMD July 18, 2020 (2:24 pm)
  
  There are not enough professional-grade masks for even the professionals, so shipping one to every home is not feasible. Safety or not, if there’s no availability it’s not going to happen. Second, double-layered (or better) tight-weave cloth masks have been demonstrated to be as effective as surgical masks when worn correctly, so letting people know what kinds of masks they can make for themselves and which are also very effective is just about the most responsible way I can think of to handle the masks-for-everyone issue, when you consider other constraints.

Kayo July 18, 2020 (8:10 am)

Amazing that we have this simple thing that can not only prevent infection but reduce severity of infection if exposure does occur (because the dose of the virus received will be less). This simple thing is called a mask. Wear one. I do all day at work. Have not passed out due to lack of oxygen or too much carbon dioxide yet.

anna11223344 July 18, 2020 (10:41 am)

I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone not complying with the mask ordinance in Seattle or West Seattle. This report seems to imply that the lack of masking is causing a rise in cases, but they don’t really cite any evidence of that, except that Yakima’s cases went down after greater compliance with masking. Spokane is at phase 2, while Yakima is at modified phase 1, which could account for the different rates of transmission. I just don’t know that you can compare two different areas like that. They presumably have different demographics, different social habits, etc. My point isn’t that we shouldn’t be wearing masks, just that this virus is doing what viruses do–it’s spreading–and humans do what humans do–they work and they socialize. I think people, for the most part, are wearing masks, and I think the virus is still spreading bc that’s what a virus does. And, when you factor in human behavior while mask wearing, masks are never going to be anywhere close to 100% effective in stopping the spread of the virus.

heartless July 18, 2020 (12:15 pm)

“I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone not complying with the mask ordinance in Seattle or West Seattle.”

You don’t know what you’ve seen? What a strange way to phrase that. But, in case you were wondering, lots of people aren’t wearing masks when they should be, whether it be in grocery stores, restaurants, or just close public proximity to others. Weird you(pretend you) haven’t noticed.

“This report seems to imply that the lack of masking is causing a rise in cases, but they don’t really cite any evidence of that, except that Yakima’s cases went down after greater compliance with masking.”

So they don’t really cite evidence except for when they do? WTF? Oh. I get it. You are one of those accounts where you don’t quite come out and say it, but for some reason or other you are anti-mask but you don’t really want to say that, so you beat around the bush in various vague ways? Let me tell you now: masks work. I am not going to link the hundreds of studies that support this–because they are already available to you. I am just going to tell you: masks work, wear a mask, encourage others to do so, and fewer people will die. Simple.

“I think the virus is still spreading bc that’s what a virus does”

We are all doomed. No, not because of the virus, but because of people like you. “That’s what a virus does”. No, dearest, we are not dying because “that’s what a virus does,” we are dying because people are STUPID. The virus is the virus is the virus, the virus isn’t a different beast in different countries–so why, for example, are so few dying in Japan? Because they ARE WEARING MASKS AND TAKING PRECAUTIONS.
- anna11223344 July 18, 2020 (1:31 pm)
  
  My wording probably wasn’t as precise as it could have been because I have a 12 year old dying dog that I have to help move around the house every time he gets up and a 2 year old who is almost constantly screaming at me. Oh, a professor in my MFA program said “almost” is also a weak word. Should I remove that from my post as well? Everywhere I go, I see people wearing masks, unless they are outside and not within 6 feet from each other. Maybe we are just going to different places. At a restaurant, you have to take off your mask to eat, no?Yakima is in Phase 1. Spokane is in phase 2. Just because two things happen at the same time(mask wearing and case reduction) doesn’t mean that one caused the other. A large reason people are not dying in Japan is because they have a much healthier population than we do. Yes, a virus that is as infectious as COVID spreads. I was under the impression that we were trying to flatten the curve and slow the spread so as not to overwhelm our health care system. Of course a virus is going to spread. How could it not? It saddens me when people on here call other people stupid. An unmasked man walked up to me last week because I was struggling with my weed wacker in my front yard. He offered to help re-string it, and he put out his hand for me to shake, and I shook it. He was much older than I am, and probably part of a different socio-economic class. Is he stupid? I never said don’t wear a mask, and I’m not anti-mask. I’m just so tired of the people trying to shame others, and reduce the virus’s spread to being caused by* all the “stupid people out there who don’t wear masks.” People on here are very reductive, and sometimes mean. *Use of the passive tense! More weak diction from ANNA! Cover your eyes!
  - heartless July 18, 2020 (3:34 pm)
    
    “Of course a virus is going to spread. How could it not?”
    
    ?????????????
    
    How on earth do you come back and ask this question?
    
    ARE YOU ALSO AGAINST FIREFIGHTERS??!?!?!?
    
    IT COULD STOP SPREADING IF WE ALL USED MASKS.
    
    THAT IS HOW IT COULD NOT SPREAD.
    
    “He offered to help re-string it, and he put out his hand for me to shake, and I shook it. He was much older than I am, and probably part of a different socio-economic class. Is he stupid?”
    
    Yeah, probably. He could be stupid because he is just stupid, or he could be stupid because he is just uneducated about the issue, but, yes, he is stupid. In the middle of a pandemic, it is stupid to not wear a mask and go right up to someone and shake their hand. It’s the same thing as smoking next to oxygen tanks–it presents a serious risk to oneself and others. It is STUPID–and, here’s the thing–that’s not even close to the worst word to call it–it could literally result in someone dying. Calling it stupid is being generous.
  - Lisa July 18, 2020 (3:42 pm)
    
    @anna – bravo for standing up for yourself. I read your first comment as you intended and was dismayed at how quickly people jumped on you for it. I am a mask wearer and also observe that most people DO wear masks. Those who don’t likely won’t or aren’t reading the blog. Enough with the finger wagging and shaming, people! It’s tiresome!
    - anna11223344 July 18, 2020 (8:35 pm)
      
      Thanks so much for the support Lisa:)
  - Curate July 19, 2020 (12:02 am)
    
    Hi Anna, I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry about your dog. And having a 2-year-old, not to mention one who is super demanding, is very stressful. I’ve been there, on both counts. Sending warm wishes for peace and patience your way.
    - anna11223344 July 19, 2020 (10:42 am)
      
      Thank you Curate:) Hopefully our 2 year olds calm down a bit sometime soon:)

anonyme July 18, 2020 (12:37 pm)

Anna, my own eyeballs have seen the evidence. Last weekend I saw a woman with her son in a Junction RESTAURANT for god’s sake, both without masks. The area was crowded with market shoppers, yet this woman thought that her political agenda was more important than anyone else’s life – including her son’s, who was more than old enough to wear a mask. Do you wear a seatbelt? ‘Cuz wearing one isn’t “100% effective” in preventing your death in a car crash, either. the HUGE difference is that your choice not to wear a seatbelt only kills YOU. It’s ridiculous to set such arbitrary and impossible standards in order to justify wearing what has become essential safety equipment. And it’s also completely disingenuous of you to suggest your point is not “that we shouldn’t be wearing masks” when clearly it is.

Math teacher July 18, 2020 (12:39 pm)

@Anna – It’s all about risk reduction, not 100% elimination of risk.

Jo July 18, 2020 (12:41 pm)

I see a lot of people not wearing masks on the street, it’s concerning. One of my friends is showing corona symptoms (coughing, fever, breathing issue, etc), yet his result is negative. I suspect the test is false, the true number of infected is much higher than the data is showing.

So wear your mask, please.

Dm July 18, 2020 (2:39 pm)

Does anyone know if Alki Beach is crowded today?

Not a transplant July 18, 2020 (6:13 pm)

Did the data change? I am looking at the King County dashboard now and it shows 184 positive cases and 10 hospitalizations. If you hover over the bar chart at the lower half of the page you can pick hospitalizations, and it only shows 7/15 but the hospitalization shows only 2. Still, 10 should be low if you are measuring the entire county. The numbers need to trend lower though, this looks like July 4 infections are becoming troublesome (hospitalization ~ two weeks after infection).