CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 1/23/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check

Here are the mid-weekend pandemic toplines:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:

*74,214 people have tested positive, 413 more than yesterday’s total

*1,215 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total

*4,687 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total

*812,614 people have been tested, 2,505 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 72,274/1,188/4,665/790,996.

WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, combining the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs). For the past two weeks, 210 positive test results; 268 in the 2 weeks before that; 299 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week; the HRAs are the most precise count. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 52, one more than a week ago.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 98.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 2,120,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 417,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, UK (third consecutive week with the same top five). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

‘MORE CONTAGIOUS’ VARIANT: The more-contagious “UK variant” of the virus has shown up in our state for the first time, the Department of Health says:

Today, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) along with the Snohomish Health District and the UW Medicine Virology Lab, announce that the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 has been found in testing samples from our state.

The UW Medicine Virology Lab detected two cases of the COVID-19 variant, known as B.1.1.7 or SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 in specimens collected from two Snohomish County residents. The lab screened 1,035 samples between December 25, 2020 and January 20, 2021 to detect mutations associated with B.1.1.7, first identified in the United Kingdom (UK). The lab confirmed the variant by whole viral genome sequencing. Data collected so far suggests a low prevalence of the B.1.1.7 variant in western Washington. Although these are the first detected B.1.1.7 variants in the state, it is likely that other cases exist and will come to light through ongoing surveillance.

Read the full announcement here. And note that while it’s more contagious, the DOH says, “there is no conclusive evidence that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death.”

REOPENING: West Seattle Grounds says everyone tested negative, so it’s reopening tomorrow.

HELPING: 10 am-3 pm tomorrow (Sunday), Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) is collecting food and other donations – details here.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

3 Replies to "CORONAVIRUS: Saturday 1/23/2021 roundup, including our weekly West Seattle trend check"

  • Seat January 24, 2021 (9:09 am)

    Typo in your worldwide stats: “more than 2,120,000 million people have died”

    • WSB January 24, 2021 (10:19 am)

      fixed, thank you.

  • Smittytheclown January 24, 2021 (1:50 pm)

    Nationally over 1.5 million vaccinations a day now.  Hospitalizations and cases dipping.  Hope it continues.

Sorry, comment time is over.