New wave of COVID-19 hits Washington

WASHINGTON—Washington State is just shy of reaching a 70% population vaccination rate, but a new wave of COVID-19 has shown just how quickly the virus is spreading among non-vaccinated individuals.

On Tuesday, August 3, the state’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard showed that 69.9% of Washingtonians aged 12 years or older had received their full dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. However, vaccination rates vary between counties and age groups.

“I’m deeply concerned about areas of the state with lower vaccination rates now that a more infectious variant is likely to be the one that reaches those communities,” said Acting Chief Science Officer Scott Lindquist, MD, MPH, in a release. “If you’ve been waiting to get vaccinated for any reason, now is the time to protect yourself, your family, and everyone around you. With transmission increasing and immunity levels dangerously low in many communities, every vaccine matters.”

Vaccinations have proven themselves effective. As of July 4, estimated hospital admission rates for unvaccinated individuals, ages 45-64, were roughly 20 times higher than vaccinated peers. For people ages 65 and older, the admission rate was approximately nine times higher for unvaccinated individuals.

In Walla Walla County, from February to June 2021, 97.4% of new COVID-19 cases were found in unvaccinated individuals. Unvaccinated cases accounted for 96% of COVID-19-related hospitalizations, and 94.3% of new deaths, according to the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health (DCH).

As of August 2, there are 279 active cases in Walla Walla County, with 272 cases in in-residence isolation. Seventy-one residents of Walla Walla County have died since the pandemic began last year.

State health officials urge anyone who has signs or symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of their vaccination or prior infection status, to get tested. Walla Walla County testing sites are available at http://www.covidwwc.com.

Since April, Washington State has been dealing with the rise of the Delta variant, a highly contagious and infectious variant of COVID-19. According to data from the Department of Health (DOH), from June 20- July 3rd, nearly 60% of all specimens collected and subjected to genome sequencing came back as the Delta variant, with officials estimating that the Delta variant is responsible for up to 92% of statewide cases.

The last complete data set from the DOH, reporting July 14-July 27, shows an increased demand for hospital resources. Over those two weeks, data indicates that the rise in overall cases had resulted in a rise in hospitalization numbers. With 10.53% to 13% of new cases requiring hospitalization, the actual number of patients is between 806 to 1000 new patients for that period.

Efforts by Walla Walla and Columbia counties are being made to encourage and offer vaccination availability. Walla Walla County vaccination clinics are currently planned for August 4, 11, and 18 at the Providence Southgate Campus in Walla Walla.