KING COUNTY, Wash. — The number of COVID-19 cases in King County is projected to be three times higher next week than the highest peak previously seen in the pandemic, according to King County Public Health.
“If we do a very simple 10-day projection of this rate of growth, we should expect 2,100 daily omicron cases in King County on Dec. 22, 2021,” said Trevor Bedford, computational biologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “This is approximately three times the number of cases seen at the highest point in the pandemic for King County (in December 2020).”
The county’s latest projections are based on the latest sequencing data, as well as the rapid rate of spread of the omicron variant in other countries.
“The UW Medicine Virology Lab is testing 100 to 200 samples a day and has seen the variant quickly grow in a matter of days,” said Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant director of the UW Medicine Clinical Virology Laboratory. “Currently, more than one-third of the COVID samples we sequence are the omicron variant.”
Scroll down to continue reading
More news from KIRO 7
- Sedro-Woolley flight attendant makes it to ‘Survivor’ season finale
- Lynnwood family says biohazard cleanup needed after dogsitting nightmare
- Tacoma Public Schools will be in lockdown Friday following national TikTok threat
- Do you have an investigative story tip? Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com
Researchers said the number of new omicron cases in the county is doubling every two or three days, with Seattle just behind New York City in the rise of the new variant.
Bedford said omicron is approaching 40% of local cases and could soon overtake delta.
Case numbers are expected to continue to rise in January, and this rapid rise in cases has the potential to be more disruptive than previous surges in cases.
King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin said that although initial reports indicate young, vaccinated people have milder symptoms, omicron’s true severity is not yet known.
“We do not yet have a clear picture of the severity of illness omicron causes compared to delta,” Duchin said.
He is urging people to get vaccinated and boosted to prevent severe illness.
Other recommendations include avoiding crowded indoor spaces; limiting the number of gatherings; taking a rapid test the day of the gathering if possible; and postponing travel where possible.
“You can test negative in the morning and positive in the evening so getting tested as close as possible to the time of an event is really important,” Duchin said.
Duchin recommends employers prepare contingency plans for when people might be out sick, especially after the holidays.
©2021 Cox Media Group
