KING COUNTY, Wash. — Although COVID-19 cases have decreased in King County since January, in which health officials were seeing an average of 6,500 new daily cases, in the last two weeks the number of new cases has been increasing, according to Public Health - Seattle & King County.
Health officials said they have seen a 91% increase in new cases, from an average of 186 daily during the week of March 21 to a current average of 356.
However, the rate of those being hospitalized has remained steady, with two to four hospitalizations occurring daily since mid-March, according to officials. Since early February, deaths have been falling.
“Because we’re starting at a relatively low baseline number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths currently, small increases lead to percentage increases that appear large compared to the actual size of the increase,” officials said (check out this webpage for more info on this effect).
Although there has been an increase in cases, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin said it is too soon to make any clear-cut statements about the recent rise in cases.
“With what we’re seeing now, it’s not possible to accurately predict the timing or severity of potential future surges,” Duchin said.
He estimates a rise in cases could last for several weeks, but there is no expectation that the current increase in cases or hospitalizations and deaths will be as severe as the omicron surge that happened during the winter.
Duchin said for those who have been vaccinated and boosted, the risk of acquiring the virus in the county and developing a serious infection is “greatly reduced” compared to the peak that happened in January.
As for what is causing the rise in cases, Duchin said various factors affect the transmission of the virus, which interact in “complex ways.”
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With the BA.2 variant of COVID-19 being the dominant strain in the state and the county, factors likely include the spread of that variant, along with the loosening of the mask mandates and changes in people’s behavior.
The recent cases that have been reported in King County have been caused by the BA.2 variant.
“As of the week of March 20, 78% of King County COVID-19 cases sequenced by the University of Washington were the BA.2 omicron variant,” said Duchin.
While BA.2 is “highly contagious” and spreads faster than the earlier omicron variant, the vaccines are said to protect well against the variant, notably for those who are vaccinated and boosted.
“But it’s important to understand that the booster dose is needed for full protection against hospitalization and death,” Duchin said.
Duchin also said, “People should be aware of the increasing trend in cases and take precautions. When cases are increasing, all COVID-19 prevention measures become more useful.”
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