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School begins – local and national COVID update for September 1, 2021

September 1, 2021 David Obelcz

Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.

[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) New cases have plateaued in Washington while hospitalizations and the number of people requiring ICU care and ventilators increases. Throughout Western Washington, it was back to in-person school for the first time in almost two years for some as nervous parents wonder about the days and weeks ahead.

It’s one of the quietest days since we started the daily updates, so let’s dive into it.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on September 1, 2021.

Washington State Update for September 1, 2021

Washington state COVID update

Through August 20, the statewide 14 day rolling average for Washington declined to 502.7 COVID cases per 100K, virtually unchanged from yesterday. Columbia (1,147.0 per 100K) and Franklin (1,1125.5 per 100K) are still reporting an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Benton, Clallam, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Grant, and Lincoln are not far behind. Clallam is added to the list today with 849.3 cases per 100K.

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 13.62%, and over the previous 7 days, 13.19%. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission driven by the unvaccinated and under testing of the population.

Age Group	7-Day Case Rate	7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11	25.3	0.1
Ages 12-19	20.8	0.1
Ages 20-34	65.8	0.6
Ages 35-49	50.8	1.4
Ages 50-64	34.8	1.9
Ages 65-79	16.8	1.6
Ages 80+	4.9	0.6

7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group

The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 40 COVID-related deaths in Washington on Monday.

Almost 196,000 vaccine doses go to waste in Washington state

A report came out today on how many doses of COVID vaccine have been wasted at a national and state level, and Washington did an admirable job. Through September 1, the Department of Health reported 184,621 doses wasted by vaccine providers and another 12,067 returned unused. The Center for Disease Control considers returned doses as “wasted.”

There were regional power outages caused by a windstorm on January 13, 2021, which cut off electricity to special refrigeration units needed to keep the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines supercooled in storage. There was another power outage on January 29, 2021, at the University of Washington, which impacted additional doses and the snowstorm event in early February. Vaccines can become wasted if they are mixed improperly, a vial is dropped or cracked, or if at the end of a clinical day not all doses within a vial were distributed.

Since the first doses arrived in our state, about 3% went to waste.

Sweetgreen CEO scrubs social media posts after uproar

The CEO of salad chain Sweetgreen has deleted a controversial post he made pointing to obesity as the “root cause” of COVID-19 and pushing for the U.S. to implement “more health mandates” regarding food.

Jonathan Neman, whose billion-dollar company has fast-casual restaurants in 12 states, began in his rant Tuesday that “78% of hospitalizations due to COVID are Obese and Overweight people,” asking, “Is there an underlying problem that perhaps we have not given enough attention to?” and “Is there another way to think about how we tackle ‘healthcare’ by addressing the root cause?”

The backlash on social media is about what you would expect.

Etectera

A new COVID testing center opened at Yakima Valley College yesterday, and people were lined up an hour before it opened. On the first day officials did 482 tests. The site is run through a partnership with the University of Washington, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Signal Health, and the college.

PeaceHealth mandated all their employees to be vaccinated for COVID by August 31, and the date has come and gone. Reports are a “vast majority” of employees got vaccinated, and those who have not were placed on leave and are being forced to use their vacation and sick time against that leave.

KPTV interviewed a former PeaceHealth nurse for the story, Viktoriya Bogdanova, who resigned over the summer after the hospital required N95 masks for unvaccinated staff.

Thank you

Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have done one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team thank you for helping us keep the lights on!

In August, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

Vaccination

No update

King County, Washington is reporting over 83% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 18.3% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. This beats the old record of 17.7% set yesterday. ICUs are at 88.6% of capacity statewide with 34.1% of ICU patients fighting COVID.

The new hospital admission rate for COVID patients is 173 per day, down slightly from yesterday. On August 31, there were 1,529 patients hospitalized with COVID and 214 on ventilators. The Department of Health adjusted the number of patients on ventilators yesterday from 241 to 236 in today’s report.

Data for pediatric patients for acute care and PICU is not available. Providence Sacred Heart in Spokane has reported that six pediatric patients are in the PICU or neonatal ICU with COVID.

Back to School

School District	Status	Quarantines	Closures
Bellevue	GREEN	None	None
Lake Washington	GREEN	None	None
Northshore	GREEN	None	None

Local School Districts Scorecard

First day of school for area districts:

Lake Washington School District – September 1
Bellevue School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 3, kindergarten
Northshore School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 1 or September 2 for kindergarten on a staggered start

A fair amount of apprehension was expressed as parents sent their children to school in districts across the Puget Sound lowlands.

We’ve created a scorecard to track the status in our area districts and you can help us crowdsource information. As you become aware of quarantines with students or facilities, you can send your information to malcontentnews@protonmail.com. This is a secure e-mail address and your reports will remain anonymous.

We will apply a “trust but verify” policy on reports so that parents can have a better understanding of what is going on with the school districts, and make informed decisions.

We have received several reports today from parents within the Kent School District, where classes started on August 26. We have received identical reports of “multiple confirmed COVID cases” at more than one school in the district. Parents are being told that CDC and DoH guidelines prevent the district from releasing more specific information. As we were preparing this story, we have another person come forward, but we were not able to speak to them before press time.

If you’re feeling nervous you’re not alone. Support for in-class school dropped significantly in a study done by the CDC. On July 23, support sat at 58% nationally, but by August 8, it had dropped to 43%

The next board meeting for the Lake Washington School District is September 13, 2021, at 7:00 PM and will be remote only.

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

No update

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University Cumulitaive Case Tracker 140,704 new cases and 1,397 COVID-related deaths on Monday.

The World Health Organization is tracking a new variant of interest called Mu. The Mu variant, known as B.1.621. Mu appears to be vaccine resistant, but at the same level as the Beta variant (commonly known as the South African variant). Cases are increasing in Columbia in Ecuador, which would indicate that its R0, or “r naught,” is higher than Lambda.

The Lambda variant, which is prevalent in Latin and South America couldn’t establish a beachhead in the United States because Delta is more infectious.

A lot of digital ink has been spilled about C.1.2 in South Africa, and we’ve gotten some questions. Although the new variant has the most spike protein researchers had seen to date, and there has been some hype that it would break through current vaccinations, the variant is not establishing itself in South Africa or appearing in many cases. Because the R0 appears low, it is currently not a concern for health officials.

“It does not appear that its circulation is increasing”, said Dr. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the WHO.

Joe Rogan reported he has COVID on Instagram, and told his followers he was using Regen-COV, Zithromax, Prednisone, and Ivermectin to treat himself. Ya, all the headlines say ivermectin, go to his Instagram – journalism has a responsibility not to create sensational headlines.

There was allegedly going to be a trucker strike in the United States over mask and vaccine mandates today. It apparently didn’t happen.

Arkansas

Cases of COVID involving children continue to grow in Arkansas, as Governor Asa Hutchinson expressed concern over the growing numbers. Pediatric cases now represent 30% of all cases in Arkansas. Hospital admissions for children far exceeded records set late last year, with over 100 admissions in July and August.

Baptist Health CEO Troy Wells noted that his hospitals have been among the many working to increase COVID patient capacity across the state, especially for patients requiring intensive care. Wells said 33 new ICU beds were added as Phase 1 of the expansion but were filled within 12 to 24 hours.

He went on to say that his company’s facility in North Little Rock just added 12 more ICU beds and that the hospitals in Fort Smith and Conway were looking to each add eight more COVID-19 ICU beds.

California

A COVID-19 outbreak has sidelined a strike team of 16 firefighters battling a massive blaze encroaching on South Lake Tahoe.

California Department of Forest and Fire Protection incident commander Jeff Veik announced the loss of the crews and warned other firefighters to follow the agency’s COVID-19 protocols during a Tuesday operations briefing, SFGATE reported.

“We lost a whole strike team of crews yesterday, we lost a finance section chief due to (being) COVID positive, so understand, do not come to this briefing without a mask on,” he said.

A strike team includes five firetrucks, 3 crew each, and a commander. The team will have to quarantine for two weeks.

Georgia

Georgia’s health department is reporting workers and volunteers are being threatened at vaccine clinics, and in one case, a mobile clinic had to be shut down.

While a shrinking, but very vocal group continues to block progress, Georgia set new records for new cases as larger school district closures roll through the state. The 7-day rolling average for new cases is now 9,641, exceeding the old record set in January.

Bill County school district sent 21,000 students home to learn remotely at least through September 20. The county joined Richmond County which sent 29,000 students home to allow deep cleaning of all the district schools. After the first four weeks of school, 200,000 Georgia students have had instruction disrupted due to quarantines, loss of staff, or closures.

Another child’s death from COVID was reported today, this one at CRSA in Augusta, Georgia.

Idaho

An open letter was released by 29 healthcare groups in Idaho, sounding the alarm and appealing for help.

“Idahoans, we need your help. On behalf of nearly 30 health care groups representing thousands of providers at every level across the state, we want to express our alarm at what we are witnessing now.”

“As of Aug. 31, approximately 543 patients in Idaho were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and 167 of those patients were in the ICU with confirmed COVID-19. Perhaps most discouraging is the fact that approximately 97 COVID-19 patients in Idaho were on a ventilator, the highest recorded number at any time during this pandemic.”

“Models indicate that by mid-October, Idaho could see 30,000 cases per week which is thousands more than any week in 2020. Discussions surrounding the activation of crisis standards of care are underway, which means hospitals may be forced to ration care. Or more simply put, your hospital may not be able to care for everyone in the community, whether you get COVID-19, get in a mountain biking accident, or have a heart attack.”

Idaho Governor Brad Little toured an ICU in Boise over the evening. Hospitalizations and ICU utilization set new records again today, with political and medical leaders openly talking about having to move to crisis standards of care.

While Governor Little appeals to Idahodians to keep the medical systems from collapsing, Lt. Governor Janice McGechin is actively undermining those efforts.

“It was shameful for Brad to suggest today that Idahoans must make a specific medical choice in order to show love for their neighbors,” McGeachin said in a tweet. “I trust YOU to make your own health choices.”

McGeachin is running to unseat Little and win the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Illinois

Chloe Mrozak, 24, of Oak Lawn, Illinois spent $600 on a plane ticket to Hawaii, only to discover the state has a vaccination requirement for incoming travelers. To solve this problem she bought a fake vaccination card and apparently filled it out herself. She misspelled Moderna on the card as “Maderna,” listed she got the vaccination in Delaware by the NRA listing Corporal Wolf and a Sergeant Monety as the administrators. In the case of Sergeant Monety, it appeared she first wrote “Money,” and then penned in a tiny t.

Officials at the airport suspected the card was fake and started an investigation. She listed a Holiday Inn Express as the place she was staying, but there was no record of her. When she attempted to fly home, officials were waiting for her and she was arrested on August 28 at the airport. She faces at least a misdemeanor charge of falsified vaccination documents in Hawaii but could be charged with a federal crime.

Oregon

One hundred members of the National Guard are being deployed to Salem Hospital, as the facility struggles to keep up with patients. As of Tuesday morning, the hospital had 90 Covid positive patients admitted, 20 of them in the intensive care unit, and 481 out of 494 licensed hospital beds full, according to data Salem Health publishes daily. Seventy-four of those in the hospital with Covid are unvaccinated against the disease, the hospital said.

Virginia

Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, had to enact a campus-wide quarantine after school reopened this year due to widespread COVID cases. The closure, slated to last at least through September 10, was made after hundreds of COVID cases were discovered among students. By the end of last week, over 10% of the student body was in quarantine, forcing the closures.

In response to the outbreak, the school notified students today they will be holding a vaccine clinic on September 3.

Misinformation

Taking the day off

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

UPDATE: Pediatric patient dies at Seattle Children’s – local and national COVID update for August 31, 2021

August 31, 2021 David Obelcz

[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) There is stronger evidence that cases are plateauing at a very high level in Washington state, while hospitalizations, the number of people in the ICU, and patients on respirators increase. School started from a number of districts across Washington today, and most districts start tomorrow in Western Washington.

On the national front, hospitalizations are approaching January 2021 levels, while the recent FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine for people 16 and older is moving the needle on vaccine hesitancy. The quest to find home remedies for COVID has taken a dark turn, with some people turning to a herbicide as a preventive. The state of New Jersey cracked down on an Instagram influencer who was selling fake vaccination cards, as well as some of her customers with a litany of felony charges.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 31, 2021.

Washington State Update for August 31, 2021

Washington state COVID update

We cannot provide insight into the epidemiological curve for new cases compared to last week because the data today is through August 19, 2021. Starting tomorrow, we can go back to discussing the daily trend.

Through August 19, the statewide 14 day rolling average for Washington declined to 500.7 COVID cases per 100K. Columbia (1,170.8 per 100K) and Franklin (1,079.0 per 100K) are reporting an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Grant, and Lincoln are not far behind. Among the counties with the highest new case rates, almost all were flat or declined for the first time in at least three weeks.

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 13.52%, and over the previous 7 days, 13.22%. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission driven by the unvaccinated and under testing of the population. The fastest-growing age group for positive remains 20 to 34-year-olds.

The 7-day Case Rate for children ages birth to 11 is 24.7 per 100K and for children, 12 to 19 it is 20.8 per 100K.

The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 27 COVID-related deaths in Washington on Monday.

BREAKING: Seattle Children’s Hospital reports first patient death due to COVID

Hospital officials reported the first death of a pediatric patient due to COVID, which occurred last week. No other information, citing privacy laws, was issued on the age and gender of the child.

“The people we are seeing in the hospital are typically people who are unvaccinated, either teens who are not vaccinated or younger people who are not eligible to be vaccinated,” said Dr. John McGuire. “We are clearly in a fifth wave here in Washington. And commensurate with that, we are seeing an increase in the number of kids needing hospitalization and needing intensive care.”

Washington State Fair announces COVID safety protocols day after state hospital officals call for its cancelation

Public health officials in Pierce County announced a series of safety protocols for the Washington State Fair scheduled to run from September 3 to 26, in Puyallup.

“As a condition of opening, Dr. Anthony L-T Chen, Director of Health at Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, will issue a health order that requires masks be worn at all times at the Fair, indoors and outdoors, regardless of vaccination status,” a news release said. “With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations at an all-time high in Pierce County, this will help prevent and limit the spread of the virus.”

The fair will have masks available and will not be checking vaccination cards or doing screenings. State Fair CEO Kent Hojem made it clear that mask wear will not be optional. As additional precautions, officials will:

Employees will be tested for COVID prior and during events
The number of rides has been cut by 10% to provide more space for social distancing
The number of vendors has been cut by 25%
Extra handwashing and sanitizing stations will be available

In August, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

Vaccination

Increasing vaccination numbers locally, statewide, and nationally indicate that the number of people who are hesitant to get vaccinated continues to decline. The latest Axios-Ipsos Coronavius Index showed only 14% of Americans now say they will never get a COVID vaccination, the lowest level since the data has been tracked. Just 1 in 5 Americans expressing they won’t or are not likely to get the vaccine.

The number of parents who now say they will vaccinate their children has grown to 68%, and 70% of Americans support mask mandates in school.

Vaccination rates in the United States have almost doubled since July, to 900,000 vaccinations given a day, including 14 million residents nationwide who got their first shot in August.

Full FDA approval, significant problems with school reopening, and the grim toll that the Delta variant is taking on the nation is attributed with driving the shifting opinions.

King County, Washington is reporting over 83% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 17.7% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. This beats the old record of 17% set yesterday. ICUs are at 88.4% of capacity statewide with 33.5% of ICU patients with COVID.

The new hospital admission rate for COVID patients is 177 per day, also a new record. On August 30, there were 1,465 patients hospitalized with COVID and 241 on ventilators. This is a significant increase from yesterday when the state reported 182 patients on ventilators.

Data for pediatric patients for acute care and PICU is not available.

Several hospitals reported they were adding tents as triage space for patients to provide better social distancing and isolation as emergency departments burst at the seams. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which operates St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood and St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw have or will be adding tents outside of their entrances. This is in addition to MultiCare facilities in Tacoma and Puyallup.

Back to School

School District	Status	Quarantines	Closures
Bellevue	GREEN	None	None
Lake Washington	GREEN	None	None
Northshore	GREEN	None	None

Local School Districts Scorecard

First day of school for area districts:

Lake Washington School District – September 1
Bellevue School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 3, kindergarten
Northshore School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 1 or September 2 for kindergarten on a staggered start

The Lake Washington School District is reporting 1,500 students have moved to remote learning after opening up registration again in mid-August. The Bellevue School District is accepting applications for remote learning through midnight tonight as demand surges across the Puget Sound region.

The next board meeting for the Lake Washington School District is September 13, 2021, at 7:00 PM and will be remote only.

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

No update

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University Cumulitaive Case Tracker had not been updated at press time. The United States held steady with 101,000 hospitalized with COVID, equal to last week.

Mask usage is increasing in the United States with 69% of residents reporting they are wearing a mask at some or all of the time outside of the home. Fifty-four percent of American businesses are requiring masks, and almost 20% have some form of vaccination or testing mandate in place.

The Biden Administration is working with oxygen suppliers, home health agencies, trade groups, and hospital systems as facilities in Florida, South Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana are reporting oxygen shortages.

Under normal conditions, a hospital would have a 3 to 5 days supply of oxygen onsite, and the tanks would be refilled once or twice a week. In the hardest-hit areas, hospitals are dropping to a 12 to 24 hour supply, and only getting enough to last 2 or 3 days at each refill.

During the January 2021 peak, the industrial use of oxygen in restaurants, welding, and manufacturing was curtailed due to national shutdowns. Suppliers are being hit with a perfect storm of record medical grade and industrial demand, a trucking shortage, and state officials refusing to make emergency declarations.

After the story broke and started to spread, Amazon added a notice to searches for “ivermectin for humans” and “ivermectin covid.”

Big tech is pushing Ivermectin unchecked across their platforms

CNBC reported today that Amazon is directing users to the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin for animals. The Amazon search algorithm was displaying results for ivermectin after typing just “iv” into the search box, including ivermectin for horses, ivermectin paste, ivermectin pills, and ivermectin injectable.

User reviews made references to dosing information for “horse families” and false claims of being a cure for COVID (there is no cure, for COVID, only therapeutics).

Amazon isn’t alone. Yesterday there were reports that MSN, the 37th most visited web property in the United States with almost 900M monthly visitors, was running ads and paid content for “horse dewormer” on its homepage.

***MSN displaying paid content for horse wormers on its homepage on August 30, 2021***

A search for “COVID” on Google News has highlighted a debunked editorial in the Wall Street Journal for a month under the “For Context” section called, Why is the FDA Attacking a Safe, Effective Drug? We featured that editorial in our misinformation section earlier this month.

Searches on Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, and Facebook for “ivermectin” easily bring users to groups and creators information on alleged dosing information, where to buy, and how to treat. Calls in Florida to poison control have increased 700%, and people are reporting in online groups finding what they describe as “rope worms” in their feces. Intestinal parasites are exceptionally rare in the United States, and health officials are reporting that people are destroying their intestinal linings. You can do some Google image searches, but we wouldn’t recommend it if you’re stomach is weak.

Arkansas

New cases continue to decline as hospitalizations and ventilator use grows. Arkansas set a new record with 388 residents on ventilators out of 531 in the ICU – that’s a staggering 73% of all ICU patients. Outcomes for patients who go on ventilators improved dramatically in the second half of 2020, as doctors learned more about COVID. The ground gained has been lost due to patients showing up sicker than before, and the Delta variant being more virulent.

Arizona

School started in Arizona a month ago, and pediatric cases are exploding. Children under 15 years old now represent 25% of all new COVID cases, and parents are becoming increasingly frustrated with only 30% of the state’s 215 school districts providing some form of daily update.

Dr. Chris Beyrer, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said having a “more systematic,” more transparent strategy for preventing and tracking school-based cases would go a long way toward curbing the spread of the virus.

“What we have is a patchwork — a great deal of variability in policies and practices,” Beyrer said. “While local nuances are important, there’s nothing like rational statewide and national planning to get this right. And we’re just not there.”

Parents have turned to crowd-sourcing information on social media to paint a picture on what is going on within their home districts.

California

Governor Gavin Newsome reported that 80% of all age-eligible residents in the state have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. This is a major milestone for the state of almost 40 million residents, with a number of rural counties with continued low uptake of the vaccine. It is worth noting for the states west of the Rockies, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, California is the only state that isn’t at or near crisis mode.

Nurse Davy Macias (she/her) was hospitalized with COVID in early August while 7 months pregnant with her fifth child. The hospital did an emergency delivery as her conditioned worried, and Marcias passed on August 26. She was unvaccinated and was holding off until after her pregnancy was complete. Other officials are reporting that the Delta variant is hitting pregnant women particularly hard across the United States. The FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer vaccine to people over 16, including pregnant women.

Georgia

Officials in Georgia are sounding the alarm as some hospitals are now rationing care and growing concern over looming hospital system collapse at a regional level. The state’s official count of COVID-19 patients in Georgia’s hospitals on Tuesday was just below the January peak number, but at times it has swelled past it. And every hospital across Georgia is now full to the point of overflowing. Georgia reported that hospitals had 5,656 COVID patients, about50 patients below the January peak of 5,709. But at some hours in recent days, according to the Georgia Hospital Association, the number has topped 5,900. The drop from the peak hasn’t been driven by discharges, but fatalities from COVID and those waiting for non-COVID-related treatment.

“I don’t mean to sound super doomsday-ish, but I think that if this growth continues, that we’re going to be risking regional hospital system collapse,” said Amber Schmidtke, a health care data researcher, who tracks Georgia’s COVID-19 trends.

“I know that that will scare people,” Schmidtke said. “But I think that that is what we’re risking. I’ve had M.D.s that are on the ground tell me the same thing: ‘This is unsustainable. We’re already at a point where we’re having to sort of triage care and decide who gets what based on limited resources and personnel.”

Anecdotal data on ICU nurse burnout continues across the country. Nurse Amber Rampy walked away from The Northeast Georgia Medical Center after 20 months on the front lines.

“I just left on Friday because I can’t do it anymore. I just can’t,” Rampy said.

“Although I’m used to people dying, I’m just not used to this many,” Rampy said.

75 have died at the North Georgia hospital where she worked during the first 30 days in August, and the hospital has 248 patients with COVID in the ICU.

Deaths in the state included a 13-year-old who was found dead of COVID by his parents Monday morning. The child was reported to have no medical conditions, and no information was provided on why the parents hadn’t sought medical treatment.

“A number of young people are being hospitalized, particularly between the ages of 5 and 17. There is a doubling of that in Georgia,” said Dr. Gary Voccio, northwest district director for the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Floyd Medical Center, like many across the state, is struggling to cope with a tidal wave of COVID patients — at least 90% of whom are unvaccinated.

“(There are) No beds at any of the hospitals,” Voccio said. “The physicians are exhausted, the nurses are exhausted and it’s just time to get the vaccine. We are imploring, begging people to get vaccinated It could save your life.”

Governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order to allot more weight in transportation, allowing for more equipment to get to hospitals and fuel to get to gas stations across the state.

Kemp said the decision comes after receiving reports that healthcare systems have had trouble accessing necessary supplies, including reports of some rural acute care hospitals running out of oxygen.

Gov. Kemp also touched on his previous executive order, which deployed 105 medically trained National Guard members to 10 hospitals across the state. Over the weekend, he said an additional 75 guard members were deployed, bringing the total number up to 180.

Kemp said that while many hospital systems have requested guardsmen, they are limited in the number of those who are medically trained. However, his new executive order would also allow for the deployment of up to 2,500 National Guard members, should they be needed.

Police Capitan Joe Manning of the Wayne County Sheriff Department, who was a vocal critic of vaccinations and posted frequently on social media about ivermectin, died of COVID on August 25. On his Facebook post, Captain Manning complained about Facebook “disciplining him” and how we was taking ivermectin daily as a COVID preventative.

Florida

Governor Ron DeSantis stayed true to his promise and cut the funding to Alachua and Broward counties over their implementation of school mask mandates. This is despite a Florida court ruling against the government over the ban. The United States Department of Education has already reached out to both districts and had previously promised to cover any gaps in funding. The counties of Orange, Duval, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Sarasota, Palm Beach, Indian River, and Leon also have mask mandates in place, but the governor has not taken further action at this time.

While the debate over masks and schools rages, Florida set a record for the number of pediatric patients with COVID in the hospital on Tuesday with 72 new admissions and 230 total patients. With the debate raging, parents chose violence in Lee County where tempers boiled over outside a school board meeting on Sunday.

The governor is under fire from multiple directions with allegations of trying to artificially lower the number of COVID deaths in how data is reported, and a lawsuit over public information on COVID within the state. Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, and the Florida Center for Government Accountability filed the lawsuit late Monday in Leon County circuit court after the department rebuffed requests for information.

The state until early June posted on its website daily reports that provided extensive data about issues such as cases and deaths, with information also broken down by county. But Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration halted the daily reports in June and shifted to posting weekly information that is far less detailed.

The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Health and Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, the department’s secretary, have violated public-records laws at a time when the delta variant of the coronavirus has caused cases, hospitalizations, and deaths to surge in Florida.

“Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and its ‘continuing threat’ to Floridians, records revealing information about its impact, prevalence, and fatality is of obvious public importance,” the lawsuit said.

The Maimi Herald reported that Florida created an “artificial decline” in COVID deaths by altering the way they reported fatalities beginning on August 10.

Until three weeks ago, according to the Herald, data collected by Florida and then posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tallied deaths by the date they were recorded, which is reportedly common practice for showing daily statistics in many states.

On Aug. 10, however, the state changed its methodology and started counting daily new deaths by the date the person died instead of the day the death was registered. A handful of other states have also reportedly switched to such a process.

When recording COVID-19 deaths with the new method, which focuses on date of death, the numbers will generally appear to be on a recent downward slope, even during the current surge, the Herald reported, because it takes a certain amount of time to evaluate deaths and process death certificates.

The Herald laid out an example of the discrepancy between the two methods: the state’s death data would have exhibited an average of 262 deaths reported to the CDC in the previous week if the health department used the original reporting system, according to the newspaper’s analysis.

Instead, however, the new reporting system only tracked 46 new daily deaths over the last seven days. The change came one day after the state was criticized for showing inaccurate information on its COVID dashboard. Weesam Khoury, a spokesperson for the Florida state Department of Health, said they were working with the CDC to adjust the discrepancies.

Hospitalizations have declined in Florida, while the numbers in ICU continue to grow. Some are crediting the 10% reduction in hospitalizations to the opening of monoclonal antibody treatment centers in the state. The state has reported treating over 30,000 people since the centers were opened earlier in the month.

Hawaii

Hawaii is another state sounding the alarm over an oxygen shortage. Hawaii Pacific Health President and CEO Ray Vara recently directed staff in an internal memo to conserve the oxygen supply and “avoid using oxygen for anything that is elective.”

“We will therefore need to cancel all elective procedures in operating rooms and elsewhere, including outpatient settings, where oxygen may be needed. Any cases that can be deferred safely should be deferred until the oxygen supply solutions are clearer,” he wrote. “At each HPH facility, surgical and facility leaders will be activating review processes to help with these decisions.”

Lt. Gov. Josh Green said the situation is all the more concerning given that cases continue to soar. The remote location of the island and the dependency on ships to supplement the supply creates additional challenges. State officials say they are working with the federal government.

Idaho

Kootenai Health in Coeur de Alene is getting additional support from a 20 person Department of Defense team, delaying a potential move to “crisis standards of care.” In a press conference today Idaho Governor Brad Little activated the national guard, deploying up to 150 servicemembers to provide support for medical facilities, performing screenings, lab work, and other logistical duties that can help lift the burden on nurses and doctors. An additional 200 medical and administrative personnel will be made available to Idaho through a contract with the U.S. General Services Administration.

The governor described the activation of the National Guard as a last-ditch effort to avoid hospitals reaching crisis standards of care, where ventilators, hospital beds, and other resources will be allocated to those most likely to survive.

“On a daily call with hospitals this morning, we heard there are only four standard adult ICU beds available in the entire state. Where hospitals have converted other spaces to be used as contingency ICU beds, those are filling up too,” Governor Little said. “We are dangerously close to activating statewide crisis standards of care – a historic step that means Idahoans in need of healthcare could receive a lesser standard of care or may be turned away altogether. In essence, someone would have to decide who can be treated and who cannot. This affects all of us, not just patients with COVID-19.”

“Idaho hospitals are beyond constrained. Our healthcare system is designed to deal with the everyday realities of life. Our healthcare system is not designed to withstand the prolonged strain caused by a global pandemic. It is simply not sustainable. Please choose to receive the vaccine now to support your fellow Idahoans who need you,” Governor Little said.

Hospital officials asked to move to crisis care standards over the weekend, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has a briefing scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 PM Seattle time.

Louisiana

There isn’t much news coming out of Louisiana specific to COVID as the Gulf state reels from the sucker punch Hurricane Ida delivered. Officials were able to relocate patients from damaged hospitals and nursing homes, and there were no fatalities reported related to that activity.

Thousands are in shelters without electricity or air conditioning and a limited water supply. In some good news officials now believe that power can be restored to 90% of people within three weeks, and some power should come back on in New Orleans tomorrow. So far, reports are favorable of people remaining patient, respecting curfews, limited crime, and good mask wear within shelters.

Ohio

Ohio University has joined more than 800 colleges and universities across the United States mandating vaccination for faculty and staff.

Ohio University President Hugh Sherman wrote, “All Ohio students, faculty, and staff at all locations are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 15, 2021. For vaccines that require two doses, both doses must be completed by this date. This applies to all employees, including those working remotely and all students except those enrolled exclusively in fully online programs and coursework who will not access University facilities on any campus in person.”

“It’s important to note, there will be an opportunity to apply for an exemption of the vaccine requirement for medical reasons or for reasons of conscience, including ethical and moral beliefs or sincerely held religious beliefs.”

Like other states seeing a spike in cases, hospitals in Ohio are starting to cancel elective procedures. On Tuesday, Ohio reported the largest number of new cases in a single day since January 2021.

New Jersey

Jasmine Clifford, better known by her Instagram handled of “AntiVaxMomma” was arrested for selling 250 fake vaccination cards. Clifford, from Lyndhurst, New Jersey, was charged with multiple felonies on Tuesday with offering a false instrument, criminal possession of a forged instrument, and conspiracy.

Nadayza Barkley, of Bellport, Long Island was also charged with falsifying information in the COVID database. Clifford sold fake vaccination cards through her Instagram account for $200, and for another $250 Barkley would enter bogus data into the New York state vaccination database.

Prosecutors say Barkley entered more than 10 names into the state’s vaccine database while working at a Patchogue medical clinic and received payments for her work from Clifford through the services Zelle and CashApp.

Additional charges were also filed Monday against 15 people involved in the fake vaccination card scheme, including 13 frontline healthcare workers. The workers employed at hospitals and nursing homes are facing one count each of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, a felony. A conviction would be career-ending for the 13 offenders.

Facebook, which owns Instagram defended its apparent lack of oversight, stating they removed the Instagram account in August.

South Dakota

Governor Kristi Noem has activated the national guard and not for border duty in Mexico, but to support straining hospitals in the Black Hills.

The governor’s office confirmed Tuesday morning soldiers are in the Black Hills conducting COVID-19 testing, and Gov. Noem later in the day said in a statement she authorized the deployment at the request of Rapid City-based Monument Health.

“This past week, I had conversations with all three South Dakota hospital systems and asked them what they needed as cases start to rise again,” the governor said. “Monument asked for the National Guard to assist them in their testing efforts, and we are happy to help.”

New cases in the state have exploded in the three weeks after Sturgis, reaching levels last seen in January 2021. The state positivity rate has jumped to 30%, which indicates major under testing and unchecked spread of COVID. Just four counties, Pennington, the home of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Meade, Lawrence and Custer are responsible for half of all reported COVID cases in the state.

Monument Health reported at the start of August they had less than 10 COVID patients system-wide – they now have 110.

Misinformation

Glyphosate. If you read that and think to yourself, “isn’t that part of the herbicides in RoundUp,” you would be correct. You will also likely be stunned that in some of the darker corners of the Internet, people are advocating drinking Glyphosate as a preventative for COVID.

Pure Glyphosate is a herbicide invented in 1974, and in its pure form has a reputation of being relatively safe and not readily absorbed through the skin when used properly, However, if intentionally ingested, it can cause increased saliva, burns in the mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Most commercial products contain other ingredients beyond Glyphosate (such as RoundUp) and can make people extremely sick, or cause death if consumed. No, Glyphosate does not cure or prevent COVID, nor is it indicated to treat any illness in humans or animals.

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Washington is in crisis – local and national COVID update for August 30, 2021

August 30, 2021 David Obelcz

[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer along with several state healthcare leaders sounded the alarm today, describing the situation in Washington’s hospitals as, “untenable.” The Washington Department of Health has retired the Washington Ready/Risk Assessment Dashboard today, reducing visibility into granular county and Health Region data.

Misinformation about Ivermectin is spinning out of control as the drug flies off of farm store shelves and calls into poison control centers skyrocket. The CDC releases a new report that indicates that breakthrough cases for Delta are growing at a significant number among people who are over 75 years old and the European Union is restricting travel for U.S. citizens again.

The situation to our east and our south is worse with Idaho hospitals formally applying for permission to go to “crisis standards of care” and Oregon requesting mobile morgues.

The only good news tonight is the statewide vaccination rate increased significantly from last week and we are seeing the strongest indication yet that new cases in Washington state are reaching a plateau.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 30, 2021.

Washington State Update for August 30, 2021

Washington state COVID update

The state of Washington has retired the Governor’s Risk Assessment Dashboard, which was providing visuals for county and Hospital Region level data. Losing the ability to see acute care and ICU use at a regional level is a disservice to the residents of the state of Washington. We urge the Department of Health to make some of the previous dashboards available to provide better transparency.

We cannot provide insight into the epidemiological curve for new cases compared to last week because the data today is through August 18, 2021. Our report on Friday was from data through August 19, 2021.

Through August 18, the statewide 14 day rolling average for Washington was 514.0 COVID cases per 100K. Columbia (1,147.0 per 100K), Douglas (1,101.1 per 100K), Franklin (1,066.6 per 100K), and Grant (1,002.7) are reporting an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Cowlitz, Lewis, Lincoln, and Yakima counties are not far behind. Benton and Cowlitz county have shown improvement over the weekend (possibly) and may have hit peaks.

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 13.53%, and over the previous 7 days, 13.07%. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission driven by the unvaccinated and under testing of the population. The fastest-growing age group for positive tests is now 20 to 34-year-olds.

The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 36 COVID-related deaths in Washington on Friday.

Hundreds protest vaccine mandates in Olympia

On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered at the Washington state Capitol Campus to protest vaccine mandates for a variety of employees. Liberty, at All Hazards, organized the event to demand vaccine mandates issued by state officials be revoked.

“From prisons, to hospitals, to First Responders of all types, from firefighters, to police, to EMS personnel, to ferry workers, to teachers, coaches, and school volunteers, bus drivers, sanitation workers, and so on — the Governor is unnecessarily threatening the genuine safety and well-being of the citizens of Washington if he forces his mandate to stand,” the group said in a press release.

The Constitutionality of vaccine mandates at a state level was reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case Jacobson vs. Massachusetts in 1905. In that case, it was determined that citizens did not a fundamental First Amendment right against vaccination when weighed against the public good. The case has been challenged multiple times in the last 116 years.

Washington State Hospital Association calls for canceling of the Washington State Fair

In a press conference today, Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer and Chief Physician Officer with MultiCare Health System Dr. Dave Carlson called for the cancelation of the Washington State Fair. “I think it is a very bad idea,” Carlson stated as he expressed deep concern about dwindling hospital resources across the state. Dr. Carlson added, “our state has no capacity to deal with a mass casualty event.”

“The hospital’s full, and we are over the course of the next three weeks likely going to bring in an additional million people to that community. And I am very, very concerned about the stress that that will put on our emergency room and about the stress that will put on our systems.”

Area Doctor pleas for youth to get the COVID vaccine before starting school

Dr. Susanna Block, a pediatric hospitalist at Kaiser Permanente in Seattle appealed for parents to get their age-eligible children vaccinated before the start of school. She reported that over the last few weeks, 20% of all new COVID cases have been children. In other states where classes have already started, tens of thousands of students and faculty have become infected or landed in quarantine, disrupting school and in some cases forcing an emergency transition back to remote learning.

Skagit County reopens testing and vaccination site as COVID cases soar

Starting Monday, Aug. 30, you can get COVID-19 testing and vaccinations at the Skagit County Fairgrounds. Tests and vaccinations will be free at the site, which is now opening Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

In August, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

Vaccination

Reflecting the increase in vaccination rates, the Washington state Department of Health is reporting that 73.3% of state residents 12 and up have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine. That is up almost a full percentage point from last week. Almost 4.8 million age-eligible Washingtonians have received at least one dose, but 1.75 million remain unvaccinated.

Vaccination effectiveness for preventing hospitalizations drops for oldest residents

New data presented on Monday indicates that the effectiveness of COVID vaccines against hospitalizations drops over time among adults over 75. This mirrors other studies indicating that effectiveness has dropped from 97%, based on data from the original and Alpha strains, to about 81% for the Delta strain. Officials admitted that it’s hard to read the data and determine cause and correlation.

“It actually may be very difficult for us to disentangle time, since vaccination and the impact of the Delta variant, especially in some populations that we know were vaccinated earlier in the time course. So if we see waning in the last couple of months, it could be really difficult,” Dr. Sara Oliver, a key CDC vaccine official, told the panel.

CDC breaks with the Biden Administration on COVID booster shots

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel on Monday indicated it could take a substantially different approach to booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines than the one proposed by the Biden administration.

Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said the evidence on boosters is not clear and indicated it would likely consider a risk-based approach that would prioritize residents of long-term care facilities and health workers rather than all eligible Americans at once.

The panel is recommending prioritizing healthcare workers, people over 65 or 75 years old, and those who are immunocompromised and in other high-risk groups.

Washington doctor says vaccination rates statewide need to reach 85% to 90% to stop COVID

Dr. Mark D. Johnson of Confluence-Health, an infectious disease specialty, said the state vaccination rate will have to get much higher to beat COVID.

“Delta has changed the game,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, the math keeps changing. And that’s because this virus does what RNA respiratory viruses do: it mutates. It just wants to infect us.”

King County, Washington is reporting over 83% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

The Washington state Department of Health is no longer providing data on total acute care and ICU beds within Washington state. According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 17% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID, the highest level ever recorded. ICUs are at 88.5% of capacity statewide with 33.4% of ICU patients with COVID.

The new hospital admission rate for COVID patients is 164 per day, also a record and far exceeding the January 2021 peak. On August 29, there were 1,440 patients hospitalized with COVID and 182 on ventilators. In contrast, the Washington Hospital Association reported a total of 1,570 COVID patients statewide and 188 on ventilators. We have a request into the Department of Health to explain the variance and are awaiting a response.

Data for pediatric patients for acute care and PICU is not available.

Hospital administrators painted a grim picture for medical resources, reporting shortages of life support equipment, exhausted and demoralized staff, and packed hospitals. Dr. Mark D. Johnson of Confluence-Health reported that none of the ICU patients at their Wenatchee facility are vaccinated, and 40% of their hospitalized patients are under 40 years old.

Chief Physician Officer with MultiCare Health System Dr. Dave Carlson said, “I have not ever in my career been concerned like I am now about the very real possibility that we are on the edge of not being able to care for people in our community.” He reported there were 275 COVID patients across the MultiCare Health System, 80 in Spokane alone. He echoed other leaders indicating that 96% of all hospitalized patients are unvaccinated.

“We have canceled almost all inpatient surgery. If you need a joint replaced, that is canceled. We are canceling everything we can,” Dr. Carlson continued. “This is frankly the most severe restrictions we have had to put in place.” He went on to explain that their hospital in Puyallup is full and currently treating 100 COVID patients.

The Washington Hospital Association also reported a serious shortage of BIPAP machines. The equipment is the last line of defense before going on a ventilator. Patients on ventilators have exceptionally poor outcomes with the Delta variant and require additional support. At one point this weekend, there was only one available BIPAP machine in the state.

Patients that move out of ICU are brought into step-down units, but the leaders expressed that these essentially require ICU levels of care. MultiCare Health System reported they had COVID patients in their Post-Anesthesia Care Units (PACU), which exacerbates the ability to provide surgical care to non-COVID patients.

EvergreenHealth provided their patient update on Monday reporting 44 COVID patients at the Kirkland facility and none in Monroe. This is an increase of 4 patients between the two facilities from last week.

Back to School

It is reported that since the Lake Washington School District reopened enrollment into virtual learning, over 800 students will be starting school on Wednesday doing remote learning.

First day of school for area districts:

Lake Washington School District – September 1
Bellevue School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 3, kindergarten
Northshore School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 1 or September 2 for kindergarten on a staggered start

The next board meeting for the Lake Washington School District is September 13, 2021, at 7:00 PM and will be remote only.

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

The number of people seeking COVID tests in the area is exploding, with reports of two-hour waits past scheduled appointment times in Bellevue, Washington. Dozens of cars snaked through a parking lot with occupants awaiting their turn to get a COVID test.

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 36,383 new cases and 277 deaths today. Most states do not report data over the weekend, so the number does not indicate a sudden improvement in new cases in the United States.

The European Union has dropped U.S. travelers from the EU safe list as COVID surges amid the unvaccinated. The 27 member states recommended that Americans should be banned from nonessential travel, including the nations of France, Italy, and Germany. The same guidance also applies to Israel, Lebanon, Kosovo, Montenegro, and the Republic of North Macedonia. The decision is non-binding and for EU member states, leaving each country to decide what is in their best interests.

Also today, the CDC added seven destinations to the “very high” COVID travel risk list. The seven destinations were moved up from the Level 3 – COVID high risk to level 4; Azerbaijan, Estonia, Guam, North Macedonia, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, and Switzerland.

Ten other destinations were moved from to Level 3; Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Moldova, Bahrain, Indonesia, Namibia, Oman, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. The CDC continues to recommend avoiding international travel if you are unvaccinated.

Robert David Steele, a former CIA agent and one of the first adherents of the QAnon conspiracy died of COVID over the weekend. Steele was one of the first people to declare on programs such as Infowars that COVID was a “hoax.” Steele continued to publish conspiracy theories and misinformation from his hospital bed before being placed on a ventilator.

On August 17, we wrote his final blog post declaring, “I will not take the vaccination, though I did test positive for whatever they’re calling ‘COVID’ today, but the bottom line is that my lungs are not functioning.”

Despite stating he was lucky to have gotten into a “trusted” hospital in Florida, a friend who reported his death, Mark Tassi, stated that Steele had been forced onto a ventilator against his will because “they” wanted to make Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis look bad.

Arkansas

Total hospitalizations continue to decline in Arkansas but the number of patients requiring the ICU and ventilators continues to climb. Data indicates that Arkansas has hit a peak for cases, but the 361 patients on ventilators is a new record, along with 533 in the ICU.

Arizona

Arizona became the 13th state to have more than one million COVID cases as hospitalizations surged 400% in the last eight weeks. Hospitalizations, ICU utilization, and new cases have reached February 2020 levels and almost all of the critically ill are unvaccinated.

The plateau may be at risk. After the first four days of classes at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 105 active COVID cases have been reported. This exceeds the prior record set in January 2021.

California

Much like Arkansas, new cases have plateaued but hospitalizations continue to hover at near-record levels. There are 8,679 Californians in the hospital on Monday, just 30 short of the old record.

Rural areas in Northern California continue to deal with a huge surge of cases. In Crescent City, the mortuary is filled beyond capacity and officials have asked for a mobile morgue.

Florida

Florida officials have reported 4,900 COVID-related deaths in the last four weeks as Delta continues to tear through the state. After dipping for four days straight, hospitalizations increased again, with officials telling residents not to read into daily fluctuations. The state has 15,788 COVID patients in the hospital, 3,526 in the ICU, representing 53% of all ICU patients statewide.

Tampa Bay radio host Marc Bernier, who dubbed himself “Mr. Anti-Vax,” died of COVID over the weekend in a Florida hospital. He became sick three weeks ago and passed at the age of 65.

Hawaii

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced the new Safe Access Oahu program on Monday. Starting on September 13, patrons entering restaurants, bars, gyms, and other establishments will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within the last 48 hours. The program is scheduled to last 60 days. Children under 12 will be exempt from the program.

State officials are also pushing back on rumors of pending lockdown, but are also requesting residents cancel their Labor Day Weekend plans.

“The reality is [the pandemic] is still here, and we right now in Hawaii, are going through the most severe part of the pandemic in almost this two-year period,” said Hilton Raethel, Healthcare Association of Hawaii president and CEO.

Idaho

Kootenai Health in Coeur de Alene formally requested permission to go to “crisis standards of care” on Sunday night. The hospital has been hinting since Wednesday it would make the request, and on Thursday evening, Idaho narrowly missed making a statewide declaration. Under “crisis standards of care,” resources are rationed to the people with the highest chance of survival, and so-called “black tag triage” could be employed. Patients who are not expected to survive would be moved into a category called, “expectant,” and would be given comfort care. If more resources became available they would be moved into a priority group for treatment.

In a worrying sign, Idaho Governor Brad Little has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. New cases remain below the January 2021 records, but Idaho can’t send COVID patients to neighboring states with Washington and Oregon in crisis.

Louisiana

On Friday I wrote about my concern that Hurricane Ida could be pulverizing blow to an overtaxed Louisiana healthcare system. By Sunday night it was apparent the sum of all fears had come true.

For the first time in modern history, the power went out for all of Orleans Parish, knocking out power, impacting water, sewer, and communications. At least six hospitals reported significant damage including a 174 bed Level II trauma center and a 194-bed acute care facility. At one hospital backup generators failed, forcing staff to scramble to hand bag ICU patients to keep them alive. After two hours power was partially restored, with COVID patients moved into hallways and the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit. One hospital reported losing oxygen when the delivery tank became damaged.

Almost 200 patients were transferred from hard-hit hospitals in southern and central Louisiana to facilities in Baton Rouge, Morgan City, and New Orleans. Officials are reporting there were no injuries among patients or staffers during the peak of hurricane Ida, and that hospitals on generator power can run for another nine days.

The collapse of a major steel truss tower into the Mississippi River plunged the city into darkness and could take 3 to 6 weeks to rebuild.

Officials are concerned about people huddled in shelters spreading COVID, but so far reports are indicating that people are wearing masks. It is likely that data on COVID and hospitalizations will be hard to process for the next couple of weeks.

Ohio

Judge Gregory Howard ordered a Cincinnati area hospital to allow Dr. Fred Wagshul to treat a 53-year old COVID patient on life support with Ivermectin. Dr. Wagushul is part of the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, a group that touts Ivermectin as both a treatment and preventative for COVID. The doctor originally prescribed the medication and the hospital refused to administer it, with the judge intervening on the behest of his wife. The man tested positive on July 9 and was admitted to the hospital on July 15 where he received monoclonal treatment, plasma, and steroids. He was placed on a ventilator on August 1 and his condition has deteriorated since.

Dr. Leanne Chrisman-Khawam, a physician and professor at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, called the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance “snake oil salesmen.”

She reviewed the association’s research on the drug’s uses and said there are some serious problems with its cited studies: many of them don’t show positive results, and those that do bear design flaws like small control groups, unaccounted for variables, nonblinded studies, not accounting for mitigations like vaccines and masking practices, and others.

Oregon

Two Oregon counties, Tillamook and Josephine, requested mobile morgues over the weekend. In Tillamook County, the one mortuary in the county is past capacity and so many staffers are sick with COVID, they can’t transfer bodies. Tillamook County had more COVID deaths last week than the prior 18 months combined.

In Josephine County, the hospital system is completely overwhelmed by low vaccination rates and rampant misinformation through the rural county. You can read more about it in this story we published over the weekend.

The city of Portland announced that 6,800 city workers will need to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or obtain an exemption to maintain employment.

Misinformation

Taking the day off

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 27, 2021

August 27, 2021 David Obelcz

[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin held another briefing today, COVID cases reach another record, and there are changes coming in how the state is reporting COVID information next week. Overlake Hospital discussed the stress they are under as a facility, and in Eastern Washington, Tri-Cities hospitals have been diverting emergency patients every day this month.

To summarize tonight’s update – hope for the best and expect the worst.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 27, 2021.

Washington State Update for August 27, 2021

Washington state COVID update

The state of Washington is retiring the Governor’s Risk Assessment Dashboard on Monday. The Washington State Department of Health website states that the data can be found on the Department of Health COVID dashboard. Currently, the granular data on hospital resources is not available on that dashboard. We urge the state of Washington to continue to make this information available to the public.

The epidemiological curve for new cases continues to slow down. Through August 19, the 14 day rolling average for Washington grew to 534.4 COVID cases per 100K. Benton (1,088.5.1 per 100K), Cowlitz (1,107.7 per 100K), and Franklin (1,180.2 per 100K) continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Lewis, and Lincoln counties are not far behind.

*Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 19, 2021*

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 13.15%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.52%. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission driven by the unvaccinated and under testing of the population

The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 23 COVID-related deaths in Washington yesterday.

We learn more about the patient who died in Eastern Washington

Earlier this week it was reported that a patient died in Eastern Washington while waiting for available medical resources. In an interview on Fox Q13 with Dr. Steve Mitchell with Harborview Medical Center. The individual arrived at an Eastern Washington hospital suffering from sepsis related to an issue with their bowels. They needed surgery and an ICU bed for post-surgical care. Over the period of approximately 7 hours, officials tried to find a facility that had surgical expertise and an ICU bed. A facility was secured in Western Washington, but it was too late for the individual.

King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin provides data on the unvaccinated

We weren’t able to attend the press conference today (we all have “real” jobs) so thanks to King 5 for their summary and clip. Dr. Jeff Duchin provided insight on the risks of catching COVID, becoming hospitalized, and dying if you’re unvaccinated while adjusting for factors such as age.

The unvaccinated have a sixfold risk of catching COVID-19, 37 times more likely to be hospitalized and 67 times more likely to die. Dr. Duchin pointed out that looking at the common data without weighting for other factors isn’t particularly useful.

He also reported that case rates within King County have plateaued over the last 10 days, while hospitalizations have continued to rise.

“I’m cautiously optimistic. This disease, this COVID-19 is highly unpredictable,” Duchin said, adding that the death rate has seen a small uptick with the latest delta surge.

Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma must test all immigrant detainees before arrival

A federal court ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated the rights of detainees at the Tacoma detention center by not testing detainees prior to arrival. The case was presented by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington chapter, the National Prisoner Project, and the Immigrants’ Rights Project. The facility is slated to be closed in 2025 both by state and federal mandate.

University of Washington eliminates philosophical objection for COVID-19 vaccine

The University of Washington has updated its COVID-19 vaccination requirements, eliminating philosophical objections.

Exemptions may [be] sought for documented medical conditions and sincerely held religious beliefs. Philosophical exemptions will no longer be granted for students or personnel, and the vaccine attestation systems are being updated to account for this change. Individuals who claimed a philosophical exemption will be contacted in the near future.

Additionally, Gov. Inslee’s proclamation mandating vaccines for state employees, health care workers, and higher education personnel as a condition of employment requires documentation to be provided when seeking a medical exemption or an exemption for a sincerely held religious belief. The University is updating its policies and systems to comply with this mandate. Personnel who obtained one of these exemptions will be contacted in the near future regarding steps they need to take.

We got one question answered by the Washington State Department of Public Health

Starting on August 30, COVID case data for children birth to 19 will be broken out into more granular age groups. You asked, they answered!

Vashon Island Fire Chief refuses COVID-19 vaccine

Vashon Island Fire and Rescue Chief Charles Krimmert has stated he will not comply with the state vaccination requirement. “If the district wants to keep me, they’ll keep me, if they want to fire me, they’ll fire me,” Krimmert told the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber.

Krimmert became fire chief in 2017 and is an EMT. Vashon Island’s Board of Fire Commissioners held a special session yesterday to discuss the matter and voted 4-1 to prevent Krimmert from administering healthcare as an EMT until he is vaccinated.

Firefighters who are EMTs or paramedics are required to be vaccinated for COVID under the state healthcare work mandate. This could be a compromise that could keep Krimmert as chief if he agrees to not practice emergency medicine.

School Districts that don’t comply with health mandate can lose funding

Washington school districts that “willfully” violate state COVID-19 health mandates are at risk of losing state funding, the state’s top school official said Wednesday, but they will be given at least two chances to come into compliance.

Chris Reykdal, state superintendent of public instruction, filed an emergency rule outlining the penalties for school districts that fail to comply with Washington’s COVID-19 health measures, including the statewide mask mandate and the vaccine requirement for school employees. His office announced the penalty for districts that don’t follow state rules in July.

“These safety measures work, and they are not at the discretion of local school boards or superintendents,” Reykdal said in a notice sent Wednesday to school district officials.

OPINION: This is a bad decision that penalizes students for the actions of administrators and school boards. We are not supportive of this action.

Southeast Spokane County Fair canceled due to COVID

Organizers of the Southeast Spokane County fair have called off this year’s event, citing safety concerns and fewer volunteers.

The fair board voted unanimously to cancel the event. Held each year in Rockford, this was supposed to be the 77th annual event. The board said it also wants to ensure the safety of its volunteers and the community at large.

Earlier this month, Spokane officials canceled the Pig Out in the Park scheduled to run from September 1 to 6.

In August, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

Vaccination

The Department of Health is reporting that the vaccination rate increased 21% in the last 7 days and 34% in the last 14 days in the state of Washington, with another 100,000 eligible residents getting the jab. Convers over Delta, vaccination mandates, and back-to-school is believed to be driving the increase. There are still 1.9 million Washingtonians who are eligible for vaccination.

King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated (18+), and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

On August 26, 89.5% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 924 acute care beds available statewide and 226 in King County. The state has lost 140 staffed beds since yesterday. The Northwest, North, North Central, and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization, and the West, Central, and East Regions are over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,454 adult COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 53 from yesterday, which is 16.5% of all acute care patients.

*Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 26, 2021*

Statewide ICUs were 89.0% occupied with 134 staffed beds available, 42 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU increased to 394 and the state lost 3 staffed ICU beds. A combined 1,850 adult patients are hospitalized in Washington state, breaking yesterday’s record. The DoH is reporting 179 of the patients in the ICU are on ventilators. Almost 95% of all COVID patients are unvaccinated.

Data for pediatric patients for acute care and PICU is not available.

*Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 26, 2021*

Washington state continues to have a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.

The North Central Region which includes Wenatchee and Chelan had one ICU bed remaining this morning. The East Region which includes Spokane had 10, the South Central Region which includes Tri-Cities and Yakima had 8, and the West Region had 17.

Dr. Todd Freudenberger of Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue told Fox Q13 that the hospital is having to cancel critical care for patients at an alarming level.

“There are people who will die within a day or two if they don’t have surgery,” Dr. Todd Freudenberger with Overlake Medical Center said.

Freudenberger says this may be yet another wave of COVID, but he says it’s different.

“This time around it’s much different, patients are much sicker, we are losing much more of them for sure,” Freudenberger said.

He says patients coming into the hospital are also not just sicker but younger. Echoing reports from Providence Hospital in Everett and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, burnout and the emotional toll is putting a huge strain on the staff.

In the Tri-Cities area, the situation is worse. One or more of the Tri-Cities hospitals were too busy to take ambulances patients every day in August. Dr. Amy Pearson in a briefing on Thursday reported that on one day, all three hospitals in the region were on divert status, with their doors closed to ambulance patients.

One of the issues first responders are facing is people calling for ambulances for asymptomatic or mild COVID cases, clogging the system.

Up to 95% of people treated for COVID-19 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, the Tri-Cities largest hospital, have not been vaccinated, said Dr. Brian York, speaking on the Kadlec on Call podcast Wednesday.

Back to School

First day of school for area districts:

Lake Washington School District – September 1
Bellevue School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 3, kindergarten
Northshore School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 1 or September 2 for kindergarten on a staggered start

The next board meeting for the Lake Washington School District is September 13, 2021, at 7:00 PM and will be remote only.

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

No update

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 161,331 new cases and 1,292 deaths yesterday. The nation hit another milestone, logging 1,090,000 new COVID cases in the last week.

Almost 75% of United States insurance providers have stopped waiving fees associated with treatment for COVID, and another 10% will end fee waivers by the end of October. With vaccinations widely available, many insurers are ending the low deductible or no deductible waivers, which will put a larger burden on patients who are hospitalized. The only large insurer that will maintain waivers for the rest of 2021 is Humana.

Kraft-Heinz will require vaccination for all office workers, joining an expanding list of Fortune 500 companies. Intel and the Vanguard Group are taking a different approach, offering cash incentives to employees who get vaccinated.

Arkansas

Some good news is coming out of Arkansas, which was on the brink of having to move to a crisis care model earlier in the week with the numbers appearing to have hit a plateau. Resources remain on a razor’s edge. In not-so-good news, pediatric cases represent the fastest-growing groups in the state at the end of the week. Children from birth to 10 were the fastest-growing age group, followed by children 11 to 17.

Earlier this week we reported on Dr. Robert Karas prescribing ivermectin to inmates at an Arkansas county jail. Yesterday all inmates refused to take the drug, and the Arkansas Medical Board is now investigating Dr. Karas. A review of medical records indicates he has written “thousands” of prescriptions for the anti-parasitic drug.

The ACLU condemned Dr. Karas’ actions, calling it medical experimentation on prisoners. Karas denies he is doing experiments or clinical trials and claims he is taking the medication himself as a preventative. In the same statement, he also told station KFSM he has had COVID twice.

Arizona

California

Although the data out of California indicates that cases have peaked, the state of over 39 million has areas with significant cases. The rural counties of Amador, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Shasta, and Tuolumne have all seen record high COVID hospitalizations this month. Hospitals in Sacramento are at capacity providing support to the rural regions.

The CDC traced a superspreader event in a Marin elementary school back to a single unvaccinated teacher. The elementary school has 205 students from kindergarten to 8th grade and 24 faculty. In its investigation, the CDC determined that the teacher, and the first patient, were the only two unvaccinated. Local health officials would later identify 27 total cases. The teacher took off her mask to read to students in her class. The school followed all CDC guidelines of social distancing and ventilation.

In the two rows seated closest to the teacher, 8 of the 10 students became ill.

Florida

Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper struck down Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order banning masks in Florida schools. After four days of testimony in a virtual hearing, which at times got heated, the judge ruled that DeSantis’ order “is without legal authority.”

The judge also noted that two Florida Supreme Court decisions from 1914 and 1939 found that individual rights are limited by their impact on the rights of others. For example, he said, adults have the right to drink alcohol but not to drive drunk, because that endangers others. There is a right to free speech, but not to harass or threaten others or yell “fire” in a crowded theater, he said.

“It’s not surprising that Judge Cooper would rule against parents’ rights and their ability to make the best educational and medical decisions for their family, but instead rule in favor of elected politicians,” spokeswoman Taryn Fenske said in a statement. “This ruling was made with incoherent justifications, not based in science and facts — frankly not even remotely focused on the merits of the case presented.”

In a sign that the worst is yet to come, South Florida hospitals are using refrigerated trucks to hold corpses as funeral homes become overwhelmed. Five health systems are utilizing the refrigerated trailers or have them on standby. In addition, FEMA is sending 14 portable morgues that will be distributed to nine healthcare systems throughout the state.

Hawaii

The backlash against Dr. Lorrin Pang, the Maui District Health Officer, and her connection to COVID misinformation being spread by The Pono Coalition for Informed Consent is growing. Yesterday the organization was criticized for “misinformation about the severity of the disease and the safety of the vaccines” while failing to mention Dr. Pang.

A letter was sent to Governor David Ige asking for Pang’s firing.

“He’s undermining the whole public health message and public trust by going along with these — for lack of a better term — conspiracy theories and bad information,” state Senator Roz Baker told The Associated Press on Thursday. “So I think he needs to be canned as soon as possible because he’s a direct threat to my constituents.”

Idaho

Idaho narrowly avoided going to “crisis care management” on Thursday evening as cases continue to surge. Some hospitals are reporting that patients are on ventilators in the emergency department with no ICU beds available, and no hospitals willing to accept a transfer.

“Our forecast is bad, to put it real bluntly,” said Dr. Frank Johnson, the vice president of medical affairs at St. Luke’s Health System.

Coronavirus-related hospital admissions have been doubling every two weeks since July 24, he said. Thursday there were between 162 and 170 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in St. Luke’s facilities.

“If we take that over the next two weeks and double that, we’re in a real, real difficult state that is well above any of the prior peaks that we had,” Johnson said. “We don’t have room for those numbers to double.”

The troubles go beyond COVID patients. St. Luke’s had three stroke patients come into the emergency department on Thursday, all needing ICU beds. In Idaho, 98% of ICU patients are unvaccinated.

In the Idaho panhandle, they are so backed up with COVID tests, that individuals who tested positive as far back as late July still have not been notified.

Iowa

The midwest state set a record for COVID hospitalizations with 498 patients. The state is faring better than others with community transmission, with test positivity at 8.3%.

Louisiana

I’ve written that the worst-case scenario for the Gulf Coast would be a major hurricane striking the region as hospital systems are struggling. That worst-case scenario could play out this weekend in Louisiana. Hurricane Ida is forecasted to make a direct hit on New Orleans as a catastrophic Category IV hurricane, 16 years to the day Category III Katrina ravaged the city.

A hurricane warning has been issued by the National Weather Service advising residents to prepare for Category III winds or higher. The forecast does not anticipate a significant storm surge, which is a key difference between Katrina. The hurricane is expected to move slowly once it makes landfall, raking the area with tropical storm and hurricane-force winds for 12 to 16 hours, and up to 12 inches of rain.

Any tent facilities along the Louisiana Coast will become unusable in these conditions, and hospitals are already at maximum capacity. The medical community will have a severe challenge maintaining staffing levels and treating storm related injuries. During the peak of the storm, EMS calls will go unanswered if conditions are unsafe. People congregating in evacuation centers will spread COVID further. Extended power outages and boil water orders will only add to the misery.

This is no attempt to be dramatic – this has the potential to completely overwhelm hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi. Officials in Louisiana are optimistic and are expressing they learned a lot of lessons during Katrina.

Louisiana Governor Jon Bel Edwards is planning to issue a vaccine mandate to some state employees or require regular, mandatory testing for the unvaccinated.

Maine

Not sure how we missed this, but two weeks ago Governor Janet Mills announced a vaccine mandate for Maine healthcare workers. Mills said health care workers include any individual employed by a hospital, multi-level health care facility, home health agency, nursing facility, residential care facility or intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities that are licensed by the state.

The emergency rule also requires those employed by emergency medical service organizations or dental practices to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Workers have until October 1 to get vaccinated.

A religious group has filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the directive, on the grounds that workers cannot object to the vaccine due to their religious beliefs.

In a written response provided to WMTW News, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers was constitutional and based on a deamination from public health officials to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“For many years the state has required health care workers to be vaccinated against various communicable diseases and, to our knowledge… The state has now simply added an additional disease – COVID-19,” Frey’s statement read in part. “Federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, have consistently upheld mandatory vaccination requirements.”

Mississippi

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves reported that hospitalizations have plateaued for the last 10 days, and up to 1,000 additional healthcare workers being deployed, along with FEMA support will free up hospital beds.

“Because we’ll have those staffing needs met by tomorrow, those additional beds should be open which should alleviate a significant portion, if not eliminate, the staffing requirements that are needed at our hospitals,” said Reeves.

Oregon

Since July 9, hospitalizations have increased almost %1000 as officials predict the worst is yet to come. Health officials reported 3,207 new cases on Friday, a new record for the state. The 1,098 Oregonians in the hospital are also a new record. There were 20 reported deaths, including a 29 year old woman.

Texas

Caleb Wallace from Texas was an organizer of rallies against “COVID tyranny” and was against masks and vaccinations. He is the founder of the San Angelo Freedom Defenders and as recently as July, organized a “Freedom Rally” to campaign against government control.

He became ill at the end of July and refused to get a COVID test, because he didn’t, “want to add to the COVID statistics.” He self-treated himself at home with ivermectin, aspirin, Vitamin C and Zinc, according to his wife, Jessica Wallace.

He became sicker, and on August 8 was placed on a ventilator at Shannon Medical Centre in San Angelo, Texas. On Wednesday, hospital officials told Ms. Wallace that her husband have fibrosis and they were out of medical options. Despite his hopeless prognosis, she insisted they continue to keep him on a ventilator.

She set up a GoFundMe for medical bills and has collected over $20,000 at the time of publication. Ms. Wallace says her views are not as conservative as her husband’s and that she wore a mask in public.

Between August 16 and August 22, Texas reported 14,033 positive cases among students across the Lonestar state.

The situation on both sides of the border between Texas and Mexico is deteriorating. Governor Abbott is opening up a monoclonal antibody treatment center in Edinburg, Texas, the second facility to be opened in the southern part of the state. Laredo, Texas sued the federal government to stop sending undocumented immigrants to the city, and buses stopped coming on Tuesday. The Supreme Court maintained a Trump order that people crossing the border seeking asylum would need to wait in Mexico, so many immigrants are being turned away. However, Mexican officials are refusing to take back anyone younger than 6 years old, so those families are passing into U.S. custody.

Misinformation

A doctor in Idaho has created a stir with a video that has received over a million views, claiming that the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are causing cancer. Dr. Ryan Cole was hosted by Idaho’s Lieutenant Governor Janice K. McGeachin, who is a known COVID denier.

Dr. Cole used a classic misinformation tactic when he cites a 2018 paper published in the journal Nature Reviews Drug Discovery that reviewed trials of earlier mRNA vaccines. The problem is, the paper doesn’t support his claims.

“Currently, mRNA vaccines are experiencing a burst in basic and clinical research. The past 2 years alone have witnessed the publication of dozens of preclinical and clinical reports showing the efficacy of these platforms. Whereas the majority of early work in mRNA vaccines focused on cancer applications, a number of recent reports have demonstrated the potency and versatility of mRNA to protect against a wide variety of infectious pathogens, including influenza virus, Ebola virus, Zika virus, Streptococcus spp. and T. gondii “

Nowhere in the paper does it state mRNA vaccines increase cancer rates, on the contrary, the paper outlines promising research on mRNA vaccines for the treatment or complete prevention of cancer including lung and pancreatic – two of the deadliest forms of cancer today.

Further, in the same paper Dr. Cole cites, it clearly states that mRNA vaccines have key advantages over DNA therapies, doesn’t require live viruses, and debunks two other pieces of misinformation.

“The requirement for safety in modern prophylactic vaccines is extremely stringent because the vaccines are administered to healthy individuals. Because the manufacturing process for mRNA does not require toxic chemicals or cell cultures that could be contaminated with adventitious viruses, mRNA production avoids the common risks associated with other vaccine platforms, including live virus, viral vectors, inactivated virus and subunit protein vaccines. Furthermore, the short manufacturing time for mRNA presents few opportunities to introduce contaminating microorganisms. In vaccinated people, the theoretical risks of infection or integration of the vector into host cell DNA are not a concern for mRNA.”

The paper does address that additional research should be done on potential autoimmune diseases. Dr. Cole uses a second misinformation technique in his presentation.

“A possible concern could be that some mRNA-based vaccine platforms induce potent type I interferon responses, which have been associated not only with inflammation but also potentially with autoimmunity. Thus, identification of individuals at an increased risk of autoimmune reactions before mRNA vaccination may allow reasonable precautions to be taken.”

The first misinformation technique is to quote a paper as proof of your point, even when the paper doesn’t support your position. The presenter assumes that the average person isn’t going to read through an entire medical research paper to educate themselves on what it says (trust me, it isn’t pleasant).

However, the best misinformation is tinged with some truth, making it harder to disprove. The paper does address autoimmune response to mRNA vaccines, but there are three key words, “possible concern could.” Additionally the paper states a clear mitigation strategy of identifitying people with an increased risk of autoimmune disorders before giving them an mRNA vaccine.

There is one other flaw with this claim, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not mRNA.

We rate the claims by Dr. Cole as false, and we will add that Lt. Governor McGeachin represents a danger to the citizens of Idaho.

BIPOC, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 26, 2021

August 26, 2021 David Obelcz

[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) The United States has over 100,000 people hospitalized due to COVID for the first time since January, a six-fold increase of patients in nine weeks. Local health officials reported a pediatric patient has died of COVID in the state and 9 people have required treatment for Ivermectin poisoning. There is some fresh misinformation circulating about the Pfizer vaccine on social media.

We really want to bring you some good news, and the power is in your hands.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 26, 2021.

Washington State Update for August 26, 2021

Washington state COVID update

Another day, another record, and another sign that the epidemiological curve for new cases is slowing down. Through August 18, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 525.6 COVID cases per 100K, which is another record. Benton (1,101.1 per 100K), Cowlitz (1,072.4 per 100K), and Franklin (1,210.2 per 100K) continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Douglas, Grant, Lewis, and Lincoln counties are not far behind.

*Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 18, 2021*

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 12.78%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.41%. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission driven by the unvaccinated and under testing of the population

The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 31 COVID-related deaths in Washington yesterday.

Washington State Department of Health issues statement on Ivermectin as poisoning calls flood the state

Washington state has treated nine people since the beginning of August after they misused Ivermectin meant for livestock such as horses and sheep. The increasing calls into poison control and people seeking medical assistance force the state to address the issue in a news release this afternoon.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) warns people should not take ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19, following today’s Health Alert Network advisory released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug used commonly in humans and animals. Although it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of some parasitic worms, external parasites, and skin conditions, evidence shows it is ineffective against treating the COVID-19 virus and the side effects can be potentially dangerous.

Side effects may include but are not limited to, skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, facial or limb swelling, dizziness, seizures, confusion, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and liver injury (hepatitis). Drugs prescribed for animals are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals and therefore may be toxic to humans. The FDA has received multiple reports of people who were hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses. In July 2021, poison control centers across the country reported a five-fold increase in the number of calls for human exposure to ivermectin.

Despite the dangers, nationwide the CDC has seen a sharp increase in both providers prescribing and patients requesting ivermectin for COVID-19. According to the CDC, during the second week of August more than 88,000 prescriptions were reported nationwide, which is 24-times higher than the number of prescriptions written before the pandemic and more than double the previous peak of prescriptions written in early January 2021. The FDA has established a cross-agency task force that closely monitors for fraudulent COVID-19 products that claim to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure COVID-19.

Eatonville School District scraps contact tracing program for student athletes

The Eatonville School District’s attempt to implement the same contact tracing technology used by the National Football League (NFL) hit a brick wall after community outcry, forcing the program to be shelved. Student-athletes and coaches would wear monitors to provide precision contact tracing, regardless of their vaccination status.

The NFL implemented this program because without it if a player were to test positive for COVID, the whole team would have to be quarantined. This would result in forfeited games, lost revenue, and local impact on employees at stadiums.

In a story done by KIRO, they reported they talked to some players and all of them were favorable about the program.

Western Washington ICU nurses don’t want to face this latest wave

Last week we reported how anti-mask and anti-vaccination protesters were outside of Providence Everett Hospital, which was the first medical facility in the nation to treat a confirmed COVID case. It seems some inside heard their message, but this probably isn’t the response they expected.

A KING 5 story highlighted the emotional toll on one ICU nurse, Kristina Zeh.

“I got to the point where I felt that the cost of working directly with COVID patients in the ICU was too high to be worth it,” explained Zeh. “I decided to leave because I just couldn’t emotionally or mentally get through another surge of COVID. A big part of me felt like I was needed, my skillset was needed, but I also needed to take a step back and take care of myself first.”

Zeh said the breaking point came as she watched more COVID-19 patients filling up the hospital, most of them were unvaccinated.

This situation is playing out across the United States, with traveling nurses refusing to go to Texas or Florida despite offers as high as $13,000 a week. We reported yesterday that Mississippi has lost 2,000 nurses since the start of the year.

We are waiting to hear from the Department of Health Public Information Officer

We’ve been working with our partners in the Department of Health and we got an update that answers to your questions are coming. What we’ve passed along includes

Explanation on the data difference between the Washington Hospital Association and the Washington State Department of Health, the preliminary answer we have is the DoH numbers are the accurate ones and they are looking into how the WHA counts their numbers
How many Pediatric ICU beds are in Washington state, and if they will start providing tracking information on PICU occupancy
How is the state working to address the shortage of long-term care facilities and what progress has been made
Can we get more granular information on pediatric COVID cases, and we ask specifically if they could break out the data from birth to 11 and 12 to 19 years old

Thank you for your questions, and we will keep trying to find you the answers.

New IHME Forecast predicts the crest of the fifth wave comes in October

The closely watched IHME forecast is projecting almost 3,000 additional COVID deaths in Washington state between now and December 1, 2021. The gloomy model now predicts new cases will peak at the end of September and hospitalizations will peak in the third week of October. The same predicts that if Washington state remains masked with high compliance, the number of fatalities could decline by 1,400.

SPOG President Mike Solan warns of an exodus of Seattle police officers over vaccine mandate

On Solan’s podcast, Hold the Line, he stated, “I can tell you right now, we could potentially have a lot of officers that could be terminated by this mandate.” Currently, the city has 29 officers who have tested positive for COVID and 33 employees in isolation or quarantine. Embattled Mayor Jenny Durkan, who opted not to seek reelection is unphased.

“Every person who makes a decision not to get vaccinated is not just jeopardizing their own health,” she told KUOW, “they’re jeopardizing the health of the people around them,” Durkan said.

In August, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

Vaccination

Johnson & Johnson reported yesterday that getting a second dose of their vaccine provided a ninefold increase in antibodies, in an ongoing study. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses a more traditional vaccination strategy using a neutralized adenovirus as a messenger to the immune system.

Pfizer, which was the first vaccine to receive full FDA approval, is in phase 3 clinical trials for their booster shot and found there was a threefold increase in antibodies.

We reported yesterday that data out of Israel was showing very encouraging news about the effectiveness of COVID booster shots.

King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated (18+), and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

On August 25, 87.8% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,091 acute care beds available statewide and 242 in King County. The state has gained 31 staffed beds since yesterday. The Northwest, North Central, and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization, and the West, Central, and East Regions are over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,401 adult COVID patients in acute care, 94% unvaccinated. This is an increase of 25 from yesterday, which is 15.7% of all acute care patients.

*Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 25, 2021*

Statewide ICUs were 87.4% occupied with 153 staffed beds available, 53 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU increased to 354 and the state gained 13 staffed ICU beds. A combined 1,755 adult patients are hospitalized in Washington state, breaking yesterday’s record.

*Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 25, 2021*

A hospital is considered to be under “extreme stress” when more than 20% of their total patients have COVID, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Another factor is how many ICU patients a hospital has. If COVID is impacting more than 30% of patients in intensive care, a hospital is considered to be under “high stress,” and at 60% it is considered to be under “extreme stress.”

Apply this measurement to Washington State Hospital Regions, only the Central Region which includes Seattle and Bellevue, and the East Region, which includes Spokane, are not stressed. The West, North Central, Southwest, and South Central regions are under extreme stress with acute care patients and the North and Northwest regions are under high stress due to ICU patients.

The North Central District, which includes Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, and Grant counties is of particular concern with 21.1% of acute care patients and 56.3% of ICU patients being treated for COVID.

The East Region remains critically low on ICU capacity with 10 beds available in the latest report.

In breaking news, Providence Health announced that Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital in Spokane are pausing “additional” surgeries. The cutback has been made due to staffing shortages and patient load. The hospital added in the announcement that over 90% of its patients are unvaccinated.

Back to School

First day of school for area districts:

Lake Washington School District – September 1
Bellevue School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 3, kindergarten
Northshore School District – September 1, 1st through 12th, September 1 or September 2 for kindergarten on a staggered start

The next board meeting for the Lake Washington School District is September 13, 2021, at 7:00 PM and will be remote only.

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

No update

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 148,143 new cases and 1,456 deaths yesterday. This is the second day in a row where national deaths have exceeded 1,400 people. John Hopkins also reported that over 100,000 people are hospitalized with COVID in the United States. Two states, Florida with 17,164 cases and Texas with 13,928 cases represent 31% of hospitalizations for COVID. California has 8,661 cases statewide, but officials are reporting that the cases are leveling off and hospitalizations are starting to decline.

The IHME adjusted their COVID forecast and is predicting another 100,000 fatalities in the United States by December first if more action isn’t taken.

Arkansas

Arkansas has reported they have run out of ICU patients with a record-breaking 354 patients on ventilators (Washington state has 354 ICU patients total in contrast).

Georgia

Georgia continues to set new records with 90% of all ICU beds in use. Almost 50% of the ventilators available in the state are in use. Wellstar Health System, which runs several large hospitals in Georgia reported that 91% of all COVID patients are unvaccinated and 97% of ICU patients are unvaccinated.

Florida

Governor Ron DeSantis continues to refuse to declare a state of emergency as liquid oxygen shortages start to impact state infrastructure and space operations. Tampa Bay residents, already reeling from Red Tide and COVID have been asked to conserve water. In a statement on Wednesday, Tampa Bay Water announced they would have to replace oxygen with bleach to purify water, impacting 2.5 million customers. Officials are sounding the alarm noting that hospitals need oxygen and clean water to operate.

Space launch operations for SpaceX and ULA have also been directly impacted due to a lack of liquid oxygen, required for rocket launches. Blue Origin doesn’t have a planned launch until early next year but was notified the launch could be impacted due to the tight supply. NASA’s planned launch of Artemis I mission was planned for 2021, which could also be impacted.

Florida hospitals are using 300% to 400% more oxygen than normal treating over 17,000 patients. A recent survey indicates that 68 hospitals in the state have less than a 48-hour supply of oxygen on site. Twenty-nine hospitals have gotten to a 12 hour supply or less since July 1.

Hawaii

Leaders from the Native Hawaiian community held a joint press conference at the state Capitol urging the native community to get vaccinated and wear masks.

“We are asking the Hawaiian community – based on our history of disease – to take charge and consider getting the vaccine, wearing a mask indoors and outdoors, and social distancing.”

The Department of Health issued a swift rebuke against the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent for spreading misinformation.

“The Pono Coalition for Informed Consent is spreading misinformation about these lifesaving vaccines. This is dangerous. The Coalition proliferates misinformation about the severity of the disease and the safety of the vaccines.”

Dr. Lorrin Pang, the Maui District Health Officer is a co-founder of the organization and was not mentioned in the statement.

Idaho

Idaho hospitals are on the brink of collapse as state officials are now asking for volunteers to provide support in struggling medical facilities.

“There’s a wide variety of positions available, a wide variety of skill sets — we need positions in every part of the state,” Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator for the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Public Health, said at the briefing, according to The Associated Press.

The state also announced they were opening three monoclonal antibody treatment centers in North Idaho, East Idaho, and the Treasure Valley. The program hopes to capture symptomatic COVID patients before they require hospitalizations. Monoclonal antibodies are effective if given within 96 hours of treatment and for patients who don’t require oxygen support.

Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene had to convert a classroom into a patient care unit to avoid running out of staffed beds. The hospital is housing a record 97 COVID patients, 37 in ICU and 97% of all COVID patients are unvaccinated.

Illinois

Illinois joined a growing list of states requiring vaccinations for teachers and healthcare workers. PreK through grade 12 teachers and staff and higher education personnel and students, will have to be fully vaccinated by September 5 or receive weekly testing. The same applies to a range of healthcare workers in the state.

Governor J.B. Pritzker has also issued a statewide indoor mask mandate that will begin on Monday. The governor got into a testy exchange with WIND radio talkshow host Amy Jacobson during the announcement, which led to accusations of her spreading, “misinformation.” Jacobson has been an outspoken critic of COVID mitigation programs and in 2020 compared the governor to Hitler, at a rally to protest lockdowns.

Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson spoke with the Associated Press from the hospital briefly and told the agency he was doing “fairly well” and responding to treatment. Jackson was hospitalized 3 days ago along with his wife. Jackson was vaccinated in January, however, his wife Jacqueline was not due to a pre-existing health condition.

Maine

All four hospital networks held a joint press conference, appealing for residents in the state to get vaccinated. Maine is experiencing a surge in cases that rivals the April wave, and shows no signs of slowing.

“Stats of the day: there are 133 people in the hospital with COVID-19 in Maine right now. Fifty-nine are in the ICU and 27, on ventilators. Of 332 total ICU beds in Maine, 34 are available right now. Yesterday (Wednesday), there were 39 available beds. And on Tuesday, there were 52,” Shah said in a tweet. Maine hospitalizations for COVID peaked at more than 200 in mid-January.

Maine is roughly the same size as Indiana.

Mississippi

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported that a sixth child has died of COVID. Officials reported on Wednesday that the child was under 5 years old. Mississippi has been teetering on the brink of a systemwide hospital collapse, forcing officials to issue the strictest quarantine rules in the United States. Hospitalizations appear to be leveling off, but officials may be looking at their next major challenge with Tropical Depression 9 expected to be a major hurricane this weekend.

Nebraska

Nebraska reversed course after deciding to stop reporting COVID data publicly on June 30 and is sharing data again. The state joins Florida and Iowa, providing a weekly snapshot. 70% of states, including Washington, no longer provide daily COVID data updates.

North Carolina

State officials are reporting there are 3,503 people hospitalized with COVID a fourfold increase from a month ago. Only 49% of all North Carolinians are vaccinated, and 94% of hospital patients with COVID are unvaccinated.

Oregon

CBS News ran a report from Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Oregon while anti-vaccination protesters chanted and honked horns outside. Oregon ICUs are at 93% capacity.

“We have patients waiting to get onto life support,” ICU Dr. Somnath Ghosh said. “The turnaround is so rapid, it’s pretty sad.”

ICU nurse Clarissa Carson said relatives used to be able to stay in rooms to grieve after loved ones passed as long as they wanted. Now, they have to be out in less than an hour so another COVID patient waiting down the hall can get in.

Pennsylvania

KISS fans who want to rock and roll all night, and party every day will have to wait for another date. Singer Paul Stanley tested positive for COVID-19 canceling the Burgettstown show. On Twitter, the band indicated that everyone on the tour is vaccinated, “both the band and the crew.”

You might remember Margaret Ann Cirko, now 37, from March 2020. Cirko coughed and spit on over $35,000 worth of groceries in a Wilkes-Barre grocery store as staff and customers watched in disbelieve. In June she pled guilty to a felony count of making bomb threats.

Cirko apologized and said she was drunk at the time of the incident. A Luzerne County judge called Cirko’s conduct “totally outrageous” and sentenced her to one to two years in jail, to be followed by eight years of probation. She also was ordered to pay nearly $30,000 in restitution.

Tennessee

On the early topic of the NFL and contact tracing, nine players of the Tennessee Titans have tested positive for COVID, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Team officials report that 97% to 98% of the Titans are vaccinated – but they did not indicate if that included just players, or players, coach staff, and back office.

Texas

Health officials in Houston reported a child died of COVID while having no other underlying medical conditions. This is the seventh pediatric death in the nation’s fourth-largest city. The Health Department stated the child was from 10 to 19 years old and was unvaccinated.

“This tragedy serves as a reminder that children, even without underlying health conditions, can get seriously ill and die from COVID-19,” said Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the City of Houston. “Getting vaccinated is not only about protecting you, it’s about protecting everyone close to you, especially your family, from serious illness and death.”

The Texas Supreme Court struck down the Bexar County mask mandate for schools on the same day the county reported 45 COVID deaths in two days, all unvaccinated.

“It’s so distressing to see the governor of this state doing everything else he can possibly do to stop us from saving (children),” Wolff said.

The case will go back to the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio, who will further consider the temporary injunction.

Misinformation

A burst of content has been spread stating that the FDA did not give full authorization to the Pfizer vaccine. Instead, the agency only extended emergency approval, and sometimes they provide an end date.

The FDA Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine document which was released on August 23, 2021, is where this misinformation is coming from. Through some selective editing, and ignoring pages 1 through 15, you reach this guidance.

“Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 12 years of age and older.”

That looks like the case is closed, but it isn’t. The first page of the document states clearly that the Comirnaty vaccine produced by Pfizer is an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older. It is also authorized for emergency use in individuals 12 to 15 years old.

“COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) is an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer for BioNTech. It is approved as a 2-dose series for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older and is also authorized for emergency use in individuals 12 through 15 years and to provide a third dose to individuals 12 years of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromised. The FDA-approved COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) and the EUA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine have the same formulation and can be used interchangeably to provide the COVID-19 vaccination series.“

Misinformation based on some degree of fact can be the most dangerous because it can be harder to disprove. We rate this as mostly false. The Pfizer vaccine has full FDA approval for individuals 16 and older.

BIPOC, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 25, 2021

August 25, 2021 David Obelcz

[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) Moderna has completed their FDA full approval request, Johnson & Johnson booster shot shows a good response, your author got a COVID test today, and COVID numbers keep growing in Washington state.

This is an abbreviated update because I feel like lukewarm death today.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 25, 2021.

Washington State Update for August 25, 2021

Washington state COVID update

There are some signs Washington state is hitting a plateau with new cases slowing down. Hospitalization and deaths are trailing indicators, so expect both to continue to rise quickly over the next 3 to 6 weeks, with fatalities leveling off last. Through August 17, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 514.2 COVID cases per 100K, which is another record. Benton (1,099.7 per 100K), Cowlitz (1,040.7 per 100K), and Franklin (1,206.1 per 100K) continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Asotin, Grant, Lewis, and Lincoln counties are not far behind. Garfield County now has 13 active cases, beating yesterday’s record. The USA Today COVID Tracker had not been updated when we prepared this story.

*Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 17, 2021*

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 11.97%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.86%. This is almost unchanged from yesterday. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission, driven by the unvaccinated.

USA Today is no longer showing the 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths and is now reporting a total number. According to the USA Today COVID tracker Washington reported 34 deaths statewide on August 24.

72.4% of Washington residents 12 and up have had at least on dose of the COVID vaccine

As of August 22, 72.4% of all Washingtonians age 12 and up, have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. Employer and college mandates along with Delta bringing a harsh reality to vaccine hold outs is driving the increase. The concept of “herd immunity” comes from veterinarian medicine. Epidemiologists believe that you need a vaccination rate of 85% to 90% of a total population to end community transmission.

Critical patient dies in Eastern Washington due to no ICU beds available

KOMO News is reporting that an unidentified person died at a rural Eastern Washington hospital. The person, who was not brought to the hospital for COVID, required intensive care but no beds were available The patient died before an available facility could be found.

At least one woman died while waiting for an ICU bed, said Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of the emergency department at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

“This patient who was severely ill and unfortunately she actually did pass away in this small hospital when after eight hours of trying, we were unable to find an ICU bed that could help sustain her life at that point,” Mitchell said at a press conference with state health officials.

Another patient had to wait six hours for a lifesaving surgery, and one patient had to be transferred to a hospital in Idaho that had a bed available, he said.

“Sadly for large periods of time now, we have reached a point where there are actually no critical care beds that are able to accept those patients throughout our entire state,” he said. Hospitals are short on all levels of staff, from janitors to clinical staff, he added.

At current rates, hospitalized COVID patients are doubling every 18 to 19 days in Washington.

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Last month, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

Vaccination

Moderna announced today it has completed the rolling submission process for its Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the full licensure of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older.

“This BLA submission for our COVID-19 vaccine, which we began in June, is an important milestone in our battle against COVID-19 and for Moderna, as this is the first BLA submission in our company’s history,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “We are pleased that our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93% through six months after dose 2. I want to thank the people who participated in our clinical studies, as well as the staff at clinical trial sites who have been on the front lines of the fight against the virus. I would again like to thank our partners at NIH, NIAID, and BARDA who have helped us advance the clinical development of our mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. I would also like to thank the U.S. FDA for their hard work and guidance through the BLA submission process and the entire Moderna team for their relentlessness in pursuing our mission of delivering on the promise of mRNA science.”

The FDA Fast Track designation received on May 12, 2020, has permitted Moderna to submit sections of the BLA on a rolling basis and Moderna announced the initiation of the BLA submission on June 1, 2021. The completed submission includes clinical data from the Phase 3 COVE study of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which enrolled more than 30,000 participants in the U.S. and was conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine showed 93% efficacy, with the efficacy remaining durable through six months after the administration of the second dose. In the COVE study, reported adverse reactions included pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, chills, nausea/vomiting, axillary swelling/tenderness, fever, swelling at the injection site, and erythema at the injection site.

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King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated (18+), and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

On August 23, 87.0% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,158 acute care beds available statewide and 267 in King County. The state has gained 42 staffed beds since yesterday. The Northwest, North Central, and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization, and the West, Central, and East Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,376 adult COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 31 from yesterday, which is 15.4% of all acute care patients.

*Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 24, 2021*

Statewide ICUs were 88.1% occupied with 144 staffed beds available, 46 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU dropped to 344 and the state gained 3 staffed ICU beds. A combined 1,720 adult patients are hospitalized in Washington state, breaking yesterday’s record.

*Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 24, 2021*

Apply this measurement to Washington State Hospital Regions, only the East Region, which includes Spokane, was not stressed. The West, North Central, and South Central regions are under extreme stress with acute care patients and the remainder of Washington state is under high stress due to ICU patients.

The West Region, which includes Tacoma, and the East Region, which includes Spokane, remains critically low on ICU capacity. Each region has 11 ICU beds available as of Monday morning, which is little changed from Friday.

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Back to School

No update

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

It was negative.

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 134,245 new cases and 1,405 deaths yesterday. The number of reported deaths is the highest since the summer surge began.

Delta Airlines became the largest employer in the nation to announce that they are passing on premium hikes to the unvaccinated. The airline told employees in a memo that stating at the end of September, unvaccinated employees will have to pay $200 more a month for healthcare premiums. In addition, guaranteed pay will not be granted for COVID-related job absences if an employee is unvaccinated.

Arkansas

Eva Madison, a county elected official, raised the issue of jail inmates being given the drug ivermectin during a finance and budget committee meeting Tuesday night. Jail officials were presenting their 2022 budget, which included the jail’s physician, Dr. Rob Karas, asking for a 10% increase in the medical services contract.

Madison informed committee members and the jail officials that a county employee, who has opted to stay anonymous to the public, told her that he had been sent to the jail’s clinic to get tested for COVID-19. When the person tested negative, they were given a $76 prescription for ivermectin. He was concerned about the prescription and asked his primary care physician about it, and the physician told him to “throw that in the trash,” Madison said.

Sheriff Tim Helder defended the decision and said that Dr. Karas “has been regularly prescribing ivermectin at the jail during the pandemic,” according to Madison.

Madison said that when she spoke to Karas, he confirmed he had been prescribing the medicine to detainees at the jail, and that he and his family members were also taking it.

This has serious Constitutional implications as it is forcing inmates to take an off-label drug that has specific guidance to not use as a COVID treatment by the FDA and the drug manufacturer Merck.

District of Columbia

Attorney John Pierce, a fierce anti-vaccination advocate whose client list included Kyle Rittenhouse and a number of January 6, insurrectionists, is in the hospital with COVID and on a ventilator. Pierce’s failure to appear in court today, and a flood of his clients filing requests to change lawyers created speculation on his condition.

When Pierce failed to appear at a Wednesday court hearing for Capitol riot suspect Shane Jenkins, his colleague Ryan Marshall told the judge, “Mr. Pierce is in the hospital, we believe, with COVID-19, on a ventilator, non-responsive.”

Florida

Another county in Florida has decided to go against Governor Ron DeSantis and mandate masks in school. Orange County, Florida, which includes the city of Orlando, mandated masks in schools after 400 students tested positive for COVID in a single day.

The crisis in Florida continues unabated with the state reporting 26,203 new cases on Wednesday, setting a new record.

An emergency room physician who charged $50 for opt-out letters to Leon County parents who don’t want their kids to wear masks in school has been removed from Capital Regional Medical Center following a social media outcry for his ouster.

As a stricter mask mandate requiring a medical excuse took hold Sunday in Florida’s capital county, Dr. Brian Warden posted a notice on a statewide anti-mask site inviting Leon County parents to contact him if they need a medical exemption letter. In another post, Warden said he’d provide a medical opt out letter on signed stationery for $50. Screenshots of the posts ricocheted around social media.

Hawaii

The state’s top health official on Maui, Dr. Lorrin Pang, has been clandestinely treating COVID-19 patients with drugs that the Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly warned.

Dr. Pang, who has served for more than two decades as the Maui district health officer for the state Department of Health, is co-founder of the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent.

His state job entails administering state public health programs and acting as the principal public health representative for the director of the state Department of Health, who is currently Dr. Libby Char.

Pang, in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, said that as a member of the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent, he is speaking as a private citizen and doesn’t always agree with views espoused by other members of the group. He stressed that he supports the state’s efforts to increase vaccinations against COVID-19.

He outlined his treatments in a videotaped discussion with Pang that was moderated by Travis and recently posted on the group’s Rumble account. It involves using hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as early treatment options, drugs that the FDA has warned people not to take to treat COVID-19.

Idaho

Yesterday we reported that Idaho was on the brink of moving to its “crisis care” plan. This article explains what that means and how patient care would be prioritized and rationed.

Mississippi

Mississippi now has at least 2,000 fewer nurses than it did at the beginning of the year, according to the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Center for Quality & Workforce. The staff shortages add to the growing strain on the state’s hospital system — both due, in large part, to the Covid-19 pandemic. When asked if the health care system is reaching a breaking point, Singing River Nursing Manager for Personal Care Buddy Grager said, “I think we already broke.”State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said Tuesday that Mississippi set a new record of Covid-19 related deaths. And of the 875 staffed ICU beds across the state, more than 93% are in use and more than 63% of those beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

New York

Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul adjusted the number of COVID deaths the state has suffered by 12,000. Disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo, had been accused of underreporting the number of deaths from nursing homes during the opening months of the pandemic. The addition of 12,000 fatalities aligns with the CDC for how COVID deaths are counted..

Oregon

Oregon will deploy “crisis teams” of hundreds of nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, and nursing assistants to regions of the state hardest hit by a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations that have stretched hospitals to the limit, Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday.

The state has finalized a contract with a medical staffing company that will send up to 500 health care providers to central and southern Oregon, where hospitals have been slammed by a surge in coronavirus patients, most of them unvaccinated. Smaller teams will also head to long-term care facilities around the state.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 990% in Oregon since July 9, according to health officials.

South Dakota

Yesterday we reported on the impact of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and how the numbers eight days after didn’t look good. Data came out today now that 14 days have passed and it looks worse.

Two weeks after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, reported Covid infections in the state have risen nearly sixfold.

South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths, up from 644 cases in the 14 days preceding it. That makes it the state with the largest percent increase in Covid cases in the past two weeks.

The state’s rate of Covid-19 infections per capita in the past two weeks is in the bottom half of the country, but it’s the sharp and sudden increase in case counts that sets it apart.

Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday doubled down his banning of coronavirus vaccine mandates by issuing another executive order “maintaining the current policy prohibiting the mandating of any COVID-19 vaccinations by any government entity” in the Lone Star State.

The new order blocks governments from mandating vaccinations, even if the COVID-19 vaccine is fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine earlier this week, casting doubt on whether Abbott’s previous July executive order – which said businesses and government entities cannot mandate COVID-19 vaccines under “emergency use authorization” – would apply.

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Misinformation

Taking the day off.

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 19, 2021

August 19, 2021 David Obelcz 1 Comment

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Washington state set a new hospitalization record as COVID cases continue to grow. The Delta variant represents 98% of all cases in Washington state. The CDC released a study that examines breakthrough cases and hospitalizations from May to July, that provides a better understanding of vaccine effectiveness.

The Washington State Department of Health has released the latest COVID data through August 18, 2021.

Washington State Update for August 19, 2021

Washington state continues to set new records as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. Through August 11, the 14 day rolling average Washington is recording 437.9 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set yesterday. New cases continue to grow exponentially, doubling every 7 to 10 days. The number of people seeking COVID tests has increased 20% to 50% in the last month throughout King County.

*Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 11, 2021*

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 11.71%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.92%. We continue to see widespread transmission in the state, with a slight decrease in the 7-day average.

The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased to 7 per day. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing.

Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich, the highest-paid public employee in the state of Washington, says he will follow the state’s COVID vaccine requirement. He had previously said he would not get a vaccine due to personal reasons, even after WSU announced they would require vaccines. When asked about having to get vaccinated his only statement was, “It is what it is.”

On Pac-12 media day. Rolovich said, “I’m not against vaccinations, and I wholeheartedly support those who choose to be vaccinated, including our players, staff, and coaches… I think we all know this virus is deadly, and these vaccines are free. I urge everyone to consider being vaccinated. I do.”

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Last month, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

Vaccination

The most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) included the study, New COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Among Adults, by Vaccination Status – New York, May 3 – July 25, 2021. The study looked at COVID cases and hospitalizations among the entire population of the metro New York City area, approximately 13.9 million people.

From May 3 to July 25, Delta went from 2% of COVID cases to 80%, and New York City dropped mask mandates and occupancy restrictions.

*CDC MMWR for August 18, 2021, Vaccine Effectiveness in New York City from May 3 to July 25, 2021*

The small dashed line on the top of both charts represents overall vaccine effectiveness in preventing new COVID cases and preventing hospitalizations. The dash-dot line represents how many people have been vaccinated. The dashed line represents the total number of infections and hospitalizations among the unvaccinated. The solid line represents the total number of cases of infections and hospitalizations among the vaccinated, and the dotted line between them is the average between the two lines.

The study indicated that overall age-adjusted vaccine effectiveness dropped from 91.7% to 79.8% as the Delta variant became the dominant strain. In contrast, hospitalizations moved in a narrow range of 91.9% to 95.3%. The report states, “Currently authorized vaccines have high effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization, but effectiveness against new cases appears to have declined in recent months, coinciding with the Delta variant’s increase.”

The data showing an increase in breakthrough cases while showing little change in overall hospitalizations is mirroring data from hospital systems in Washington, and across the country. Another study that was in the New York Times indicated that 74% of breakthrough cases nationwide are among people 65 and older.

It is important to remember that no vaccine is 100% effective and there is strong evidence that COVID vaccinations lessen the severity among those who get an infection, and vaccinated individuals have dramatically lower mortality rates compared to the unvaccinated.

Appreciation goes to Dr. Katrine Wallace, P.hD of the University of Illinois, Chicago, for bringing this study to our attention.

Washington state is providing COVID vaccine booster shots for moderately and severely immunocompromised residents. People who received an mRNA vaccine are eligible for the booster. People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine do not require a booster at this time.

Almost two million Washingtonians who are vaccine eligible remain unvaccinated. The group Find a COVID Shot WA can assist anyone who needs help making an appointment. The group of 75 volunteers has been operating since the beginning of 2021 and offers support in 20 languages.

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King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated, and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

Washington state reached an all-time high for COVID hospitalizations, surpassing the December 2020 peak, with the Delta variant representing 98% of cases. The Washington Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer reported there were 1,240 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. This number does not align with the Washington State Department of Health data, and we have reached out to understand the difference in numbers.

On August 18, 85.7% of available acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,285 acute care beds available statewide and 314 in King County. The West, Central, South Central, and East Regions were over 80% utilization. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,205 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 31 since yesterday. 13.4% of all hospitalized acute care hospital patients are being treated for COVID. More than 20% of acute care patients in The West Region, which includes Pierce County, are hospitalized with COVID. This indicates that the hospitals in that region are under stress.

*Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 18, 2021*

Statewide ICUs were 85.5% occupied with 176 staffed beds available. King County has 56 ICU beds available. The number of COVID patients in the ICU dropped to 342 patients.

*Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 18, 2021*

The West Region, which includes Tacoma, is down to 11 available ICU beds and almost 2 out 5 ICU patients are fighting COVID. in the more rural North Central District, 45% all ICU patients are hospitalized with COVID.

With the epidemiological curve doubling every 7 to 10 days, our hospital system is in danger of being overrun.

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Back to School

Yesterday we reported on Governor Inslee’s directive requiring all employees and contractors working for private K–12 schools and public K–12 school districts, charter schools, and educational service districts to be fully vaccinated by October 18, 2021. Due to the overwhelming amount of news yesterday, we cut the story short. The vaccine directive includes most of Washington state’s childcare workers.

The mandate includes employees, contractors, and volunteers working in licensed and licensed-exempt childcare centers and in early learning and youth development programs. Individuals that provide babysitting services to friends, neighbors, or direct family members from the same household are exempt.

Employees must provide proof of vaccination by showing their vaccine card, certificate of COVID-19 vaccination, or Washington State Immunization Information System printout. Individuals cannot use attestation as proof of immunization, and daycare providers cannot opt-out.

Individuals who have a medical condition, have been recently infected with COVID, and are under recommendation not to get a vaccination for 90 days, or who have a genuine and deeply held religious exemption can apply with the state. State officials said anyone applying for an exemption will be rigorously vetted and personal and philosophical reasons are not allowed.

FACT CHECK: In 1905, the United States Supreme Court decided that the states have the power to mandate vaccinations (Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905)). Last week, Trump appointed Supreme Court Justice Amy Comey Barrett, denied an appeal from students at Indiana University to block the school’s vaccine mandate. Because the Supreme Court was not in session, enabling Justice Comey Barrett to render a decision independently. A three-judge federal appeals court panel, including two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump, previously sided with Indiana University to require vaccinations.

To comply, employees need to have their second mRNA vaccination dose or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by October 4, 2021.

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

We will be featuring area businesses that require vaccinations for their customers and require their staff to be vaccinated. The Lounge at DeLille Cellars is a place where you can enjoy wine by the glass and bottle with hand-crafted fare from Executive Chef Michael C. Toni. Located in Woodinville, they offer light bites for sharing to salads, sandwiches, entrees, such as steak frites and fresh pasta made daily.

No promotional consideration is given. If you have a business that requires proof of vaccination and you’re located on the eastside, send an email to tips@malcontentment.com. We’ll feature a new business here every day.

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 137,980 new cases and 1,145 deaths. This is the second day in a row where COVID deaths in the United States broke 1,000. Nationwide, 11.35% of COVID tests are coming back positive. Nationwide, 77% of all ICU beds are occupied and almost 1 out of 3 people in the ICU are battling COVID.

Burnout among nurses is reaching a crisis in the United States. Now dealing with the fourth wave (or fifth wave in Washington state) in the last 18 months, the trauma, stress, long hours, and under-appreciation is shrinking the nursing corps, and that is even before vaccination mandates started in hospital systems across the United States. In an interview with ICU nurse Cassandra Alexander, she quipped, “Why stay in a hard, dangerous, seemingly thankless job?”

Toyota, the largest car company in the world, is having to cut 40 percent of its global production, shutting down plants in its home nation of Japan. The production reduction is happening due to the global semiconductor shortage and parts suppliers closing in Malaysia due to a severe COVID outbreak in the archipelago. For US customers who want a Heche en Nippon product, the slowdown impacts the RAV4, Corolla, Camry, and Lexus ES.

As a disclaimer, we try to pick from more neutral sources so we’re not exactly fans of Vanity Fair. However, the differences from the on-the-air message versus what goes on behind the cameras at Fox News are worth highlighting. While hosts like Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson rail against vaccination and masks, mandates, vaccine cards, and mask wear, their employer has a different take.

In a Tuesday memo updating staff on COVID-19 procedures, Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott said that the company has “asked all employees—whether on-site as part of our essential workforce or working remotely—to upload their vaccination status” into an internal database. “All employees must enter their status no later than today, August 17th, by close of business,” Scott wrote.

Scott added that while masks remain optional for vaccinated employees, the company is “requiring employees to wear a mask in small, confined spaces with limited opportunities for social distancing and where there are multiple employees, including control rooms.”

Arkansas

Hope that Arkansas had hit its peak fourth wave peak is fading as cases and hospitalizations started to climb again. Of Arkansas’ 262 school districts, 118 have issued mask mandates and another 87 have banned them. The state did cross a critical milestone, with 51% of the eligible population vaccinated against COVID.

Hawaii

On Oahu, where Honolulu is located, Straub Hospital is overcapacity in its ICU as the state deals with its worst surge of COVID cases ever. Dr. Johnathan Paladino reported the ICU was at 125% capacity and is currently at stage five of its seven-stage disaster plan. Patient triage is now being performed in a tent. Earlier in the week, the Queens Health System had also run out of ICU capacity. The disaster plan, based on military battlefield triage will hopefully not get to stage six or seven. At stage six care would be rationed, with the most critically sick could find care delayed. Stage seven is so-called “black tag triage,” where the sickest patients, regardless of having COVID or not, would be moved to comfort care.

Missouri

Missouri state representative Sara Walsh, another outspoken critic of vaccination and masks, reported that her husband has died of COVID. Steve Walsh died early this morning after the couple becomes infected in July. Neither were vaccinated, and the state representative said she didn’t get vaccinated because of concerns about friends’ negative reactions to the vaccine and said she didn’t feel she needed it as she’d been healthy since the pandemic began. Walsh is running for U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler’s 4th District congressional seat in the 2022 election.

Mississippi

Yesterday we reported that Alabama had run out of ICU beds, and Mississippi has been adding additional capacity in tents over the last two weeks. Mississippi set a record for the most case, the most patients hospitalized, the most patients in ICU, and the most patients on ventilators. Even with the expanded capacity, the state is down to 11 ICU beds.

Oregon

Governor Kate Brown announced that educators in the Pacific Northwest state who teach K-12, have until October 18 to receive a vaccination or face termination. “We will need confirmation from a qualified medical care provider on any medical exemption. And, we will be reviewing that each religious exemption that is requested is based on bonified beliefs,” said PPS Chief Human Resources Officer Sharon Reese. The mandate comes one day after Washington state issued a similar directive. Oregon has one of the fastest-growing rates of COVID in the United States, with many rural hospitals overwhelmed.

Texas

While Texas Governor Greg Abbott battles COVID in isolation at the governor’s mansion, he continues to battle mask mandates in Texas school districts. The town of Paris, Texas found a loophole in the Governor’s executive order, and modified the school dress code, making masks required.

“The Texas Governor does not have the authority to usurp the Board of Trustees’ exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public schools of the district,” Paris ISD said in a release posted on its website. “Nothing in the Governor’s Executive Order 38 states he has suspended Chapter 11 of the Texas Education Code, and therefore the Board has elected to amend its dress code consistent with its statutory authority.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking the San Antonio Independent School District to court after the district mandated all staff be vaccinated for COVID-19. The School District is claiming they have the right to mandate vaccinations under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rules, while AG Paxton says it violates state law. We wrote yesterday how the Supreme Court has addressed challenges on vaccination mandates at a state level since 1905, and it is likely Texas will not prevail in its challenge.

Georgia

Parents in Cobb County, Georgia are pulling their children out of school, just three weeks after the 2021-2022 school year started. Last week the entire fifth-grade class at East Side Elementary was sent home because of a spike of COVID cases in the school. Parents had to select either remote or in-person learning during the spring, while masks and social distancing requirements were in place. The district voted not to require masks, going against federal guidelines. The situation has gotten tense with parents on both sides of the argument squaring off. Georgia’s PICUs are 75% to 90% full, with a growing number of pediatric COVID patients.

Wisconsin

Republican State Senator Andre Jacques, one of Wisconsin’s most conservative lawmakers and an outspoken critic of mask and vaccine mandates, is in the hospital with COVID. Jacques, who is married and has six children, reported on Monday night that several of his family members are also sick. On Wednesday no one would comment on his condition beyond he has pneumonia, is very tired, but in good spirits. Since his positive test, his legislative office said it “has been following all protocols.”

Minnesota

The number of children in childcare becoming infected with COVID is growing, with 120 new cases among the unvaccinated a week. The increase started at the height of summer camp season in the last week of July, said Dr. Beth Thielen, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at M Health Fairview. “That was really before things even started to spiral in Minnesota.”

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Misinformation

You may have seen a claim that 45,000 people have died within 3 days of receiving the COVID vaccine based on information in the VAERS database. This misinformation is often touted with, “look it up for yourselves,” and has been shared widely on social media.

The VAERS database is a self-reporting tool, that anyone can complete online. It is true you can download the data and do analysis. The data is raw, has not been reviewed or verified, and relies upon the honesty of the people reporting. That would require in part, 45,000 reporting in three days that a relative had died from the vaccine. It is a significant leap to then assume that you had 100% reporting and it was 100% accurate.

It is true that there have been limited adverse actions from the COVID vaccine and three documented fatalities during the initial release of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. All vaccines come with some degree of risk, and the 28 documented hospitalizations related to blood clots are among 14 million people who have received the vaccine in the United States (full disclosure, that includes your author). It is important to note that the CDC and NIH suspended the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six reported incidents for two weeks. During the pause, they created additional guidance on how to identify a potential rare reaction and a proper treatment plan.

But wait, there’s more. The VAERS database only has 6,000 self-reported fatality reports from December 2020 to July 2021. In early May there were 4,700. So where did the 45,000 number come from?

The organization America’s Front Line Doctors is behind the numbers and the lawsuit. But there is a huge problem with the claim, even if you want to cling to it as fact. The lawsuit states that an unnamed person (Jane Doe) who is a computer program calculated her estimate of deaths happening within 3 days of vaccination by examining the VAERS data and comparing it against medical claims. The lawsuit goes on to say, “The number of deaths occurring with (sic) 3 days of injection with the Vaccines exceeds those reported by VAERS by a factor of at least 5.”

There in the lies the problem. We don’t know when the data was pulled, but we do know the number of reports had to be under 6000. No explanation was given on the factor of five. Even if there was any veracity to the claim, the number in the lawsuit should be between 25,000 to 30,000. The other critical point is the data in VAERS is unverified data.

Americas Frontline Doctors were behind a July 27, 2020, viral video touting a cocktail of hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax as a treatment for COVID. The claims were untrue, created a shortage of hydroxychloroquine, and left states like Oaklahoma looking to sell back the drug they bought last year under the advice of then-President Trump when he retweeted their video.

The three leaders of Americas Frontline Doctors are Dr. Stella Immanuel of Houston, Dr. Dan Erickson, and Dr. Simone Gold.

Dr. Simone Gold is the founder of the organization, she was a major advocate of hydroxychloroquine in 2020. Dr. Gold participated in the Capitol Insurrection that happened on January 6, 2021, in Washington D.C. and was arrested by federal officials after videos and pictures emerged of her within the Capitol.

On April 22, 2020, Dr. Dan Erickson made a claim that COVID had a mortality rate of 0.03% based on testing within their private clinic. According to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, COVID mortality is 1.7% in the United States. Erickson appeared in the “documentary” Plandemic, and was also an advocate of hydroxychloroquine.

Dr. Immanuel has a well-documented history of making false medical claims throughout her career. This includes claiming that endometriosis, infertility, miscarriages, and sexually transmitted diseases are caused by “spirit spouses” (aka demons), and space alien DNA in humans. Dr Immanuel was warned by the Texas State Medical Board in August of 2020 about her practice and claims. She continues to run her private practice in Houston.

The report that 45,000 people died from the COVID vaccines is false, even if you take the lawsuit at face value.

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Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 18, 2021

August 18, 2021 David Obelcz

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) The Biden Administration announced guidance for COVID vaccine booster shots, Washington state renewed its mask mandate while requiring K-12 educators to get vaccinated, as the United States has its first day with 1,000 COVID related deaths since April.

The Washington State Department of Health has released the latest COVID data through August 17, 2021. COVID cases continue to rise through the state, and more hospital systems are curtailing or delaying elective procedures and closing their doors to visitors.

Washington State Update for August 18, 2021

Today, Governor Jay Inslee held a press conference in Olympia, announcing the renewal of the statewide mask mandate effective Monday, August 23, 2021. “We are requiring all individuals, including the vaccinated, to mask up inside in all public places,” the governor said.

The mask directive applies to all individuals over the age of 5 in indoor public settings regardless of their vaccination status. Exceptions include athletes while engaged in active play or when people are eating or drinking. Additionally, persons who have a bonafide medical condition are exempt.

People who are fully vaccinated and work in places that don’t face the public, such as computer programmers or machine operators, do not have to wear masks when working in those environments. For private events where everyone is vaccinated, masks are not required.

For the unvaccinated over 5 years old, masks are required in all indoor settings.

“There is a strong recommendation for crowded situations outdoors,” said Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, adding, “There is no requirement.” Dr. Shah’s guidance was to wear a mask in densely crowded areas outdoors or in large group settings such as sporting events, fairs, or concerts. As of this writing, the new directive has not been published on the State of Washington Department of Health website. We will provide a link in our next update or when it is made available.

Last month, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin mentioned the N95 Project as a trusted source for N95 masks. A check on the website showed that a 50 count box of United States manufactured N95 masks are available for $40.00. We recommend wearing N95 masks indoors as they provide the best protection against COVID when properly fitted.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks

The number of COVID cases and rate of infection continue to deteriorate. Through August 10, the 14 day rolling average Washington is recording 419.2 COVID cases per 100K. This represents the highest rate of new infections since the December 2020 peak. New cases continue to grow exponentially, doubling every 7 to 10 days.

*Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 10, 2021*

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 10.53%, and over the previous 7 days, 13.78%. Both of these numbers would indicate widespread community transmission and significant under testing of the population.

So far, COVID deaths remain very low, with a 7 day rolling average of 6 per day. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing.

In hard-hit Klickitat County, Sheriff Bob Songer reported he was infected with COVID in July and had a 5-day hospital stay. Sheriff Songer has been vocal in his position of not supporting COVID-related rules. He says he will continue to fight pandemic-related restrictions as he recovers at home and requiring oxygen. He dismissed his need for supplemental oxygen in an interview, stating he is a smoker with chronic pulmonary issues.

Washington state-based Alaska Airlines is said to be considering a vaccination mandate for their employees after three died from COVID in July. The deaths included Captain Eric Moss, a 53-year old pilot that would have likely not had any comorbidities. It is reported all three were unvaccinated.

EXTRA CREDIT: Airline pilots have to follow strict air medical standards to maintain flight status. The Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association can provide you with more information.

Vaccination

President Joe Biden announced that COVID vaccination booster shots would be available starting September 20 for anyone who has received their second mRNA vaccine dose at least eight months ago.

“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout,” top health officials said in a joint statement.

Unlike vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses a disabled adenovirus to deliver the instructions. This adenovirus is in no way related to the coronavirus. It cannot give you COVID-19, nor can it spread COVID-19 to other people. The virus delivers instructions to the immune system on how to defeat coronavirus without giving it the ability to replicate.

Tik Tok creator hotvickkrishna made this video that explains how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine works and why only one dose is required.

@hotvickkrishna
Why we only need One Dose of J&J vaccine #fyp #learnontiktok #vaccine #johnsonandjohnson #forkhands #science
♬ original sound – hotvickkrishna

The decision to start providing booster shoots is not without controversy. The World Health Organization advised against boosters today, in part because global vaccination rates remain low, and among the poorest nations, vaccinate rates are only 1.3%. The WHO added that boosters are not indicated as being needed “for now.”

Yesterday, we reported that Texas Governor Greg Abbott, currently infected with COVID, received a booster shot. During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, former President Donald Trump derided booster shots as a money-making scheme while falsly stating that vaccine developers said the COVID vaccine was forever.

FACT CHECK: On April 2, 2021, the CDC released a report indicating that the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines would be effective for at least six months. The study tracked 3,950 individuals from December 2020 to March 2021 under real-world conditions. Another study released in June 2021 from Washington University in St. Louis indicated the mRNA vaccines could be effective for years “so long as the virus and its variants do not evolve much beyond their current forms.”

During Governor Inslee’s press conference today, Dr. Shah reported seeing a “20% increase in vaccinations in the last two weeks” in Washington state.

Governor Inslee appealed to the almost 2 million Washingtonians vaccine eligible but have not gotten the jab. “Instead of shutting down businesses and schools, we are using tools to keep our businesses and schools open,” Inslee said. “This isn’t your grandpa’s illness anymore, and 95% of the people sick and hospitalized today are unvaccinated.”

The group Find a COVID Shot WA can assist anyone who needs help making an appointment. The group of 75 volunteers has been operating since the beginning of 2021 and offers support in 20 languages.

King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated, and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

Governor Inslee stated, “our healthcare system is overwhelmed.”

“We have [hospital] systems telling us: “We have staff shortages, we are fatigued, and we are back at this. Please help us.”

In an interview with KING 5, Dr. James Town, medical director of the medical ICU at Harborview, reported, “We’re seeing people from their 30s to their 50s, more than 90% of patients. In fact, I think all of the patients in our hospital now are unvaccinated patients.”

Harborview Medical Center is Washington state’s only Level I trauma hospital with 413 beds. As recently as August 11, the hospital had more than 500 patients, and the wait time for patients arriving by ambulance was up to 90 minutes long.

“We have broken our previous record for hospitalizations set in December, and we are witnessing exponential growth,” Governor Inslee stated.

On August 17, 84.0% of available acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,461 acute care beds available statewide and 314 in King County. The Northwest, West, Central, South Central, and East Regions were over 80% utilization. There are 1,174 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 82 since yesterday. 12.8% of all hospitalized acute care hospital patients are being treated for COVID.

*Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 17, 2021*

Statewide ICUs were 82.9% occupied with 211 staffed beds available. King County has 70 ICU beds available. Unfortunately, the number of COVID patients in the ICU jumped significantly from yesterday. The number of ICU patients increased 72% overnight, to 400 patients – almost 1 in 3 people in the ICU.

*Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 17, 2021*

The East Region, which includes Spokane, has 16 ICU beds remaining.

With the epidemiological curve doubling every 7 to 10 days, our hospital system is in danger of being overrun.

Today in Everett, anti-vaxxers protested out of Providence Hospital, where the first confirmed COVID case in the United States was treated. Hospital workers walked out during lunchtime, giving the middle finger to the crowd. One employee in scrubs said they felt “betrayed, hurt, and sad.”

I watched as Providence Everett employees walked out of the hospital around lunch time to a large anti-vaccine mandate protest. The employee in full scrubs flipping off the crowd, who declined to be named, said they felt “betrayed, hurt, sad” seeing the protestors. pic.twitter.com/rbqPBbXTaf
— Olivia Vanni (@ogvanniphoto) August 18, 2021

anti-vax protesters outside of everett providence hospital on august 18, 2021

Back to School

Governor Inslee announced a directive requiring all employees and contractors working for private K–12 schools and public K–12 school districts, charter schools, and educational service districts to be fully vaccinated by October 18, 2021.

All staff, faculty, administrators, contractors, coaches, volunteers, and visitors must provide proof of vaccination, a bonafide medical exemption, or proof of sincerely held religious beliefs by the deadline or face termination of employment. If a school employee contracts COVID and is recommended to wait 90 days before receiving their COVID vaccination, they need to seek accommodation before the October 18 deadline.

The order does not apply to state-tribal education compact schools or to students.

“We are well past the point where testing can keep people safe,” Inslee stated. “Before you leave your job, talk to your doctor. Don’t listen to all this baloney on the Internet. Don’t leave your career until you talk to your doctor about this vaccine,” he continued.

“This is fundamentally a health and safety issue.”

“Delta is not Alpha. It is impacting more folks, and it is more transmissible, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said.

“Our goal here is safety first and foremost. Shutdowns have impacts. When 1.1 million kids are home, someone has to be there at home. Opening school is important. It matters to learning, it matters to our economy, and it matters to your families.”

According to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, COVID cases have increased 79% for children ages 4 to 10, 59% for ages 11 to 14, and 66% for teens ages 15 to 19.

To comply, employees need to have their second mRNA vaccination dose or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by October 4, 2021.

Superintendent Reykdal stated that vaccination rates among current teaching staff are “well in excess of 70%.”

In explaining why he passed the mandate, Governor Inslee stated, “The freedom from COVID is a freedom we are protecting here. We are protecting your freedom to be alive, go to school, and run your business.”

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

Yesterday we created some confusion due to the wording in our story. The Lake Washington School District will not require students to provide a daily health screening/attestation. Parents are urged to keep their children home if they are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, have been directly exposed to COVID, or are sick.

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 128,900 new cases and 1,001 deaths. It is the first time the United States has reported more than 1,000 COVID-related deaths in a day since April. Nationwide, 11.45% of COVID tests are coming back positive.

Hospitalization of children infected with COVID has hit “the highest level ever seen,” according to Dr. Cedric Dark, assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and board member with Doctors for America.

According to Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MD, 121,427 kids have tested positive for COVID, representing 18% of all reported COVID cases in the United States. Texas has the most pediatric cases, with 509 children hospitalized. Pediatric patients are growing exponentially in the United States, pushing children’s hospitals to the limit.

On the current trajectory, Dr. Denise Dewald, MD, projects the United States will need 6,800 PICU staffed beds to meet the anticipated peak. The nation only has 4,500 beds, and unlike adults, PICU cannot be expanded simply by adding surge capacity in tent hospitals or moving patients to adult care units. Pediatric patients require specialized equipment, medical staff, and medications.

Pope Francis issued an appeal urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the vaccines could bring an end to the pandemic.

“Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19,” the Pope said in a video message made on behalf of the nonprofit U.S. group the Ad Council and the public health coalition COVID Collaborative.

“They grant us the hope of ending the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we work together.”

The Pope was vaccinated back in March, declaring it was an ethical obligation.

EXTRA CREDIT: What does the Bible say about Christians seeing a doctor? Read this point of view from Compelling Truth.

President Joe Biden announced that staff members at nursing homes would now be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or those facilities would risk losing their Medicare and Medicaid funding. The President reported that since COVID started, 130,000 residents in nursing homes have passed away.

According to early August data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, only 60 percent of staff members at long-term-care facilities have received the full course of the coronavirus vaccine.

The Delta variant is making a significant impact on air travel and tourism, with 54% of Americans reporting less interest in traveling and 27% postponing a planned trip. The number of people buying cancelable tickets has increased 37%, and trip cancelation is rising.

Alabama ran out of ICU beds on Tuesday night and added 4,465 new COVID cases. Dr. Don Williams, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, reported that the state is actually negative 11 for staffed ICU beds and has an additional 30 patients awaiting transfer to an ICU. Alabama has 2,723 people hospitalized with COVID, including 41 pediatric patients. Last week, Governor Kay Ivey announced a temporary emergency order enabling doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to practice in Alabama using expedited medical licenses.

In Florida, University of Florida researchers project the state will hit its peak in late August or early September. The report indicates that Florida would reach 33,000 new cases a day, 220,000 a week. The school reported that 94% of their hospitalized patients are unvaccinated. The university is caring for six pediatric patients, the most on record.

The Los Angeles, California City Council voted to require city employees to get the COVID vaccine. Employees will have until early October to get vaccinated.

COVID cases are spiking in Wisconsin, where 683 COVID patients are being cared for statewide. Dr. Ben Weston, the director of Medical Services for the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management, called attention to the steep increase in hospitalizations during a press call with Milwaukee County officials.

“For those who have not yet gotten vaccinated, now is the time,” Weston said. “The delta variant is widespread, and the vaccine significantly decreases your risk of infection, the risk of severe symptoms, your risk of hospitalization, and your risk of death.”

New COVID cases in Wisconsin have reached the highest levels since February.

According to Oregon governor Kate Snow, hospitals are at 93% of capacity, and 9 out of 10 ICU beds are full. Oregon has seen a surge of cases in the last ten days, with one of the fastest-growing rates in the country.

MISINFORMATION

A lot of digital ink has been spilled about the drug Ivermectin. On July 28, even the Wall Street Journal ran an opinion piece called, Why is the FDA Attacking a Safe, Effective Drug? The Wall Street Journal updated the op-ed piece recently with this disclaimer, “This article has been edited to remove a reference to a study of 200 healthcare workers by Ahmed Elgazzar of Benha University in Egypt. Messrs. Henderson and Hooper relied on a summary of studies published in the American Journal of Therapeutics. They learned after publication that this study has been retracted because of charges of data manipulation.”

Neither David R. Henderson nor Charles L. Hooper, the writers of the articles, are medical doctors, medical researchers, or immunologists. Additionally, Mr. Hooper is president of Objective Insights, a firm that consults with pharmaceutical clients. Who is one of Objective Insights’ clients? Merck, the maker of Ivermectin.

You might have seen videos out of San Diego County where several anti-vax, anti-mask, and COVID deniers took to the microphone. The BBC investigated how Russia is hiring American actors they are recruiting through YouTube and social media to create misinformation content and attend anti-vax protests.

Denver, Colorado actress Audra J. Morgan was identified as a speaker in San Diego by internet sleuths. After being identified, she was found in photos at several protests around the country.

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 17, 2021

August 17, 2021 David Obelcz

Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions.

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) The Washington State Department of Health has released the latest COVID data through August 16, 2021. COVID cases continue to rise through the state, and more hospital systems are curtailing or delaying elective procedures and closing their doors to visitors.

Washington State Update for August 17, 2021

Through August 9, the 14 day rolling average in Washington is recording 396.1 COVID cases per 100K people, almost 16X higher than the target of 25 per 100K. This represents the highest rate of new infections since January 18, 2021, and is based on data from July 27 to August 9. New cases continue to grow exponentially, with little indication that the state is nearing a peak.

*Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 9, 2021*

The number of people seeking COVID tests has increased dramatically since July 17 and is reaching April 2021 levels.

The rate of hospitalized COVID patients has grown to 9.4 per 100K residents, on a 7 day rolling average through August 10. Using the incomplete data through August 16, the rate jumps to 11.4, the highest ever recorded.

The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 10.6% and over the previous 7 days 13.55%. Both of these numbers would indicate widespread community transmission and significant under testing of the population.

So far, COVID deaths remain very low, but fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually starts to increase two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing. This trend is starting in Florida, where the state is recording over 150 deaths a day.

Vaccination

As of August 16, 71.5% of all Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. Vaccination rates are growing again statewide. Vaccine hesitancy is slowly declining, and concern over the Delta variant is motivating Washingtonians to take action.

Vaccination rates remain low among the youngest people. For residents 65 and over, 83.8% are partially or fully vaccinated, while 52.9% of 18 to 34-year-olds are. People under 65 now make up the majority of hospitalized patients.

Washington state has started providing COVID vaccine booster shots for moderately and severely immunocompromised residents. People who received an mRNA vaccine are eligible for the booster. People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine do not require a booster at this time.

The group Find a COVID Shot WA can assist anyone who needs help making an appointment. The group of 75 volunteers has been operating since the beginning of 2021 and offers support in 20 languages.

The Washington State Department of Health tweeted today about fake vaccination exemption forms circulation in the state. A person seeking an exemption does not need to complete a form from the Department of Health, and the form does not provide you with an automatic exemption.

The Biden Administration is widely expected to announce the recommendation to receive a vaccination booster shot eight months after the final dose of an mRNA vaccine. The guidance does not extend to those who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccination.

King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated, and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
For information on getting a vaccination in King County, you can visit the King County Department of Public Health website.
Malcontent News

Hospital Status

Hospital capacity remains tight, but the impact from a growing list of hospital systems canceling elective procedures is helping. In today’s data, it does appear that new COVID patients are quickly filling up the extra space.

On August 16, 82.8% of available acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,560 acute care beds available statewide and 353 in King County. The West, Central, South Central, and East Regions were over 80% utilization. There are 1,092 COVID patients in acute care, 12.1% of all hospitalized patients.

*Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 16, 2021*

Statewide ICUs were 81.9% occupied with 222 staffed beds available. This is an improvement from Friday when 179 beds were remaining. King County has 79 ICU beds available. Unfortunately, the number of COVID patients in the ICU jumped significantly from yesterday. Almost 1 in 4 ICU patients have COVID – 289 people. Total hospitalizations are at January 2021 levels, and the epidemiologic curve indicates the state will set new historic highs next week.

*Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 16, 2021*

Benton, Cowlitz, Lewis, and Thurston Hospitals are at record levels, and many counties are at near-record levels. King County remains manageable, but the epidemiological curve shows that the county could be at January 2021 levels next week.

Yesterday, University Washington Medicine and Harborview Medical Center announced they would be delaying some elective procedures and evaluating the situation on a case-by-case basis through September 19, 2021. The medical system joins a growing list of hospital systems redirecting resources to deal with the Fifth Wave hitting Washington state.

Washington state faces a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.

Back to School

The Washington State Department of Health released new guidelines for K-12 student-athletes and extra-curricular activities. Masks are not required for student-athletes in low and moderate contact sports, regardless of vaccination status. For high contact sports, masks are not required unless the student-athlete is unvaccinated. They will still be able to play but are required to have a negative COVID test. Masks must be worn in weight rooms, traveling by bus or public transit to events, and when not actively practicing and playing. Basketball, wrestling, water polo are considered high contact sports. Cheerleaders fall under the same category as high contact sports.

The vaccination rate among Washingtonians age 12 to 17 remains low. Currently, 46.2% of children ages 12 to 15 and 52.9% of 16 to 17-year-olds have received at least one dose.

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

There has been some confusion among parents in the Lake Washington School District about the availability of virtual instruction for the 2021-2022 school year. The website indicates initial enrollment ended on June 30. Due to renewed interest in remote learning, parents can sign up on the waitlist. Some people are reporting success in getting their children into virtual learning.

In breaking news, the Lake Washington School District announced tonight they will not be doing daily health screenings for students with are attending in-person classes.

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 210,000 new cases and 686 deaths. Nationwide, 11.56% of COVID tests are coming back positive. There was some good news with Georgia, Florida, and Texas in the number two, three, and four slots for vaccinations, only behind California.

The TSA has extended the mask mandate for passengers of planes, trains, and buses until January 18, 2022. The mandate was set to expire on September 14, but faced with the surge in cases the Biden Administration determined it was in the best interest of the nation to make the extension. The FAA has reported a record number of “air rage” cases in 2021. So far there have been 3,889 incidents of unruly passengers, 74% of those cases over mask requirements.

Over the weekend, a maskless man was filmed lording over an elderly woman for wearing a mask on a New York City subway. The man, identified on social media and research news site Heavy as Ryan Bartels, 27. The incident is full of endless irony including occurring on the Q Train, and the man chanting, “1776” over and over again while wearing a shirt with a British Union Jack flag on it. Bartels was later spotted at an anti-vaccine rally and photographed making white power hand gestures.

Several states ravaged by the most recent wave may have hit their peaks, declining case numbers in hard-hit Missouri and Arkansas. However, many states are setting new records for infections and hospitalizations. Florida, Louisana, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Oregon set records for daily new COVID cases over the weekend.

Rural hospitals in Oregon are overwhelmed with patients, and the state has redeployed 1500 members of the National Guard to provide additional support.

In Kansas, hospitals are struggling with an explosion of new cases over the last six weeks while being severely short-staffed. Since the winter wave, hospitals in the flyover state have lost 30% of their employees due to burnout, attrition, and healthcare professionals joining the ranks of traveling doctors and nurses.

Stormont Vail Health in Topeka is turning down requests to take patients suffering from strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, and cancer. One hospital in Abeline, Kansas, had to fly a patient to Wisconsin.

Texas has requested five mobile morgues from FEMA and refrigerator trucks in anticipation of existing facilities becoming overwhelmed. Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) tested positive for COVID this morning. He has been put into quarantine, is reported to be asymptomatic, and receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment.

The governor also revealed he had received a COVID booster shoot, raising questions about his overall health. Abbott uses a wheelchair after a freak accident, where an oak tree fell on him while jogging when he was 26.

Yesterday, the governor attended a Republican fundraiser in Collin County, described as “standing room only.” The governor tweeted pictures of him addressing a maskless crowd, shoulder-to-shoulder indoors. All attendees have reportedly been notified of their exposure.

A maskless Abbott made a statement from Austin early this evening and is being widely derided tonight on social media.

The Texas governor has barred schools and communities from issuing mask mandates and prevented districts from providing mandatory reporting of exposure to COVID in the classroom. Several school systems have implemented mask and notification rules going against the direction of the state.

Mississippi has set up a second field hospital as officials continue to try and stave off a collapse of the state’s hospital system. Samaritan’s Purse is providing the second field hospital. The US Department of Health And Human Services has sent a team of three-dozen doctors, nurses, and specialists to help man the mobile hospital in a parking garage. Mississippi has seen a record number of pediatric COVID patients, with 18 in the hospital, five in the ICU, and four on ventilators.

Florida is now logging 29,000 new COVID cases a day, and they continue to grow exponentially. In Hillsborough County Public Schools, 5,599 students and 316 teachers are in quarantine, crippling the district. The school board is holding an emergency meeting to consider what action it should take, including mandating masks.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order barring schools from issuing mask mandates, arguing it should be a parental choice. Broward County has already gone against the executive order, and Miami-Dade County is expected to also. The US Department of Education announced that if Governor DeSantis cuts the pay of school officials in districts passing mask mandates, they will cover the pay gap.

Georgia crossed a grim milestone, recording its one-millionth confirmed COVID case. The state is seeing near-record hospitalizations and, like its neighbors, is struggling to find facilities for patients.

Chicago has joined New Orleans in passing an indoor mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status. Also, from Chicago, a pharmacist has been arrested for selling COVID vaccination cards on eBay. Tangtang Zhao, 34. appeared in federal court earlier today and faces up to 10 years in prison for selling 125 cards on eBay.

BIPOC, Editorial, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National

Malcontentment Happy Hour: May 6, 2021

Video May 7, 2021 Malcontent News Staff

Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from May 6, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.

Tik Tok creates a lead in the 18-year-old case of missing person Sofia Juarez
Man pulls a gun on protesters in Portland, Oregon
Insurrections Landon Copeland has multiple outbursts in federal court
A Kirkland coffee order turns racist
Malcontented Minutes
- First Nation Tribe buying the Palms Casino in Las Vegas
- Vermont man arrested for hate crime after trying to run over a Black man
- Amazon refuses to remove anti-transgender book from store
- Caitlyn Jenner says do as I say not as I do
- California bar is busted for selling fake vaccination cards
- Arkansas woman steals a gun laden work truck, gets naked, gets arrested
- Orphaned polar bear cub in Russia loves hugs and humans, and gets a new home
- California bear relaxes in swimming pool while four cubs watch
- National Park Services gets 45,000 applications for 12 slots to thin bison herd
- U.S. government is using tech to warrantlessly grab personal information out of technology-laden cars
COVID Update