CORONAVIRUS: Friday 4/16/2021 roundup

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Tonight’s pandemic headlines as we head into a summer-like weekend:

KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, the latest stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:

*93,046 people have tested positive, 447 more than yesterday’s total

*1,493 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total

*5,532 people have been hospitalized, 29 more than yesterday’s total

*1,003,142 people have been tested, 1,001 more than yesterday’s total

On to our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:

*962,030 people have received one dose

*596,525 people have received both doses

*1,380,455 doses have been allocated to King County (not counting pharmacy programs)

One week ago, the first four totals were 90,581/1,483/5,444/990,088, and the vaccination totals were 842,660/504,402/1,244,985.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 139.9 million cases, 2,999,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.

COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: In his weekly briefing, Dr. Jeff Duchin updated King County trends. Good news: “Deaths have fallen dramatically.” Also good: 51 percent of people in King County age 16 and up have received at least one vaccine injection. Otherwise, “cases are substantial but holding steady.”

IF YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR VACCINE – here are links to try:

*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.

IF YOU NEED TESTING SATURDAY: It’s the last day for the West Seattle test site (2801 SW Thistle), which will become vaccinations0-only on Monday.

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

waikikigirl April 17, 2021 (6:55 am)

Somehow my weather app on my phone recently got some new info on it, it is a daily count for Covid results and it shows for my 5 favorite locations. These are State wide daily’s, not County. Come on WA we can do better than this!

WA. new 2169/ new deaths 18
AZ. new 845/ new deaths 30
OR. new 695/ new deaths 2
HI. new 96/ new deaths 1

Abyk April 17, 2021 (8:46 am)

There’s a great place in Redmond that has 15 stations open giving shots all day long from 7am- 7pm (except weekends). I got in the same day I called. It was an easy and quick process and with so many volunteers helping guide people, it was truly a well oiled shot machine! (425) 899-3933. I think the phone lines for appointments are open on weekends, just not shot clinic.

Buddy April 17, 2021 (9:17 am)

Might help if everyone got a shot for the Covid-19 and even after getting the shot wear a mask!

JJ April 17, 2021 (9:55 am)

Positivity rates have looked higher than ever this week. It would make sense to stop many routine workplace screening tests as workers are vaccinated, I suppose. That would leave mainly actively symptomatic and contacts of known positives to be tested. I guess that would explain a huge jump in positivity rates, especially if the virus is surging with so many reopenings before enough people are vaccinated.

Scubafrog April 17, 2021 (3:47 pm)

Republicans please get Vaccinated. Thanksss

1st shot April 17, 2021 (5:47 pm)

Awhile back people were sharing their vaccine experience, wanted to contribute mine.

Received 1st dose of Phizer vax this morning. The shot I received was painless, almost disbelieved I’d received an injection. Usually flu shot hurts a bit…

No symptoms for the first 3-4 hours, then started to feel soreness in my arm (oh good, I was injected!).

It’s been more than 6 hours and the only notable side effect so far is a tender arm, feels like I bumped into something hard and got a bruise. I rested for about a half an hour and then went out and worked in the yard.

Thought for sure I’d be hit hard with side effects because of an auto immune condition, but so far, easy.

And although I have a ways to go before being protected by the vaccine, it is a relief to receive the first dose.

If I have worsening side effects tomorrow or Monday I will share here.

1st shot April 18, 2021 (7:23 am)

Morning after update:

The arm tenderness began a few hours after shot and was more sore by the evening. Some discomfort lifting arm up but it’s useable and bearable. Not fun but definitely worth the covid protection.

No other side effects so far, pleasantly surprised.