Tag Archives: covid misinformation

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 24, 2021

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) King County becomes the most populous area in the United States to have 70% of eligible people vaccinated as the Delta variant continues its relentless march through the Pacific Northwest. More information is becoming available about breakthrough cases and the protection vaccinated individuals receive, and school board meetings in Western Washington were derailed by antimask and anti-vaccine advocates.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 24, 2021.

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Washington State Update for August 24, 2021

Washington state COVID update

If there was any good news in the most recent report, the data is indicating a continued slowdown in the rate of growth for new cases. Through August 16, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 501.3 COVID cases per 100K, which is another record. Benton (1,106.5 per 100K), Cowlitz (1,010.9 per 100K), and Franklin (1,218.5 per 100K) continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Lewis and Grant County are not far behind. Cases continue to grow even in sparsely populated Garfield County with 11 active cases, a new record for the Plumbus shaped rural Southeast Washington county. The USA Today COVID Tracker indicated that on Friday, Washington reported 8,361 new COVID cases on Monday. That would include cases documented over the weekend, and should not be used as an indicator of a sudden surge in new cases.

Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 16, 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 11.98%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.49%. This is an improvement from yesterday. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission, driven by the unvaccinated.

The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased again to 10 per day and the USA Today COVID tracker is showing increasing deaths as COVID runs its course. The number of deaths being reported in Washington hospitals is starting to rise and is at both April and February 2021 levels. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing. We are at least four weeks away from peak mortality with cases continuing to grow.

Land Commissioner Hilary Franz requiring firefighters to be vaccinated by October 18

Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands, issued a directive requiring all Washington State Department of Natural Resources employees, including firefighters, to be vaccinated by October 18. The call comes as crews working wildfires outside of Yakima and Winthrop have become sickened by the virus. This has included grounding aircraft and removing fire trucks from the battle lines.

King County first large county to reach 70 percent with one vaccine dose across all age and racial groups

King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced more than 70 percent of all eligible King County residents across all age and racial/ethnic groups have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine based on data tracked by Public Health – Seattle & King County. King County is the first large county to achieve this milestone. More than 1.6 million residents have received at least one dose, and more than 3 million doses have been administered to King County residents.

“As I’ve said all along, this pandemic will end one shot at a time, and no community would be left behind. Our community outreach, school clinics, and partnerships across King County have helped save lives and keep more people safe from the Delta variant,” said Executive Constantine. “From young people to community organizations that reach communities of color, everyone in King County is stepping up to do their part and keep one another safe from this dangerous virus.”

More than 71 percent of all residents in King County have received at least one dose – one of the highest rates of any large county in the nation. And now reaching 70 percent in every eligible demographic and age group, and with the full approval of the Food and Drug Administration of the Pfizer Biotech vaccine, that number is expected to continue to grow in the weeks ahead.

“This is an important milestone and remarkable achievement, but as the current Delta surge shows, we still have too many eligible and unprotected,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “The full approval of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine by FDA should reassure anyone who has been reluctant to be vaccinated with the emergency use authorization. This vaccine now officially meets the same safety and effectiveness standard as all other routinely available vaccines.”

Among Washington’s five largest counties, King has the lowest rate of new COVID cases during this ongoing surge. Every age and racial group is now over the 70% threshold, but progress still needs to be made among Black and Hispanic/Latinx groups.

10 corrections deputies in Whatcom County sickened with COVID

A COVID outbreak in the Whatcom County Jail has sickened 10 deputies after an “uncooperative” detainee refused to be tested during booking. The individual was placed into quarantine following protocol on August 14 and required several deputies who were in close proximity. A few days later one of the deputies became ill, and that number has climbed to 10. The inmate agreed to be tested, and also came back positive.

Children now make up 18% of new COVID cases

Children ages birth to 19 now make up 18% of all COVID cases in Washington state, and 2% of all hospitalizations, less than two weeks before school is scheduled to start. Seattle Children’s Hospital is reporting there are seeing the same number of PICU patients as they had during the January 2021 spike. A majority of the PICU patients are old enough to be vaccinated but are not.

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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 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Report included the study, Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Frontline Workers Before and During B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant Predominance on Tuesday. The study involved 4,217 healthcare workers from December 14, 2020, to August 14, 2021. There were 3,483 vaccinated participants, most with mRNA vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna.

The study indicated that vaccine effectiveness in preventing a COVID infection declined from 91% to 66% among the participants. Vaccinated individuals were 5X less likely to get COVID but more critically, were 29X less likely to require hospitalization. The decline in overall effectiveness may have been driven partially due to declining overall protection from the vaccine and was another point of data that led to the decision to start booster shots in September.

Data out of Israel is showing very encouraging news about the effectiveness of COVID booster shots. On July 30, the nation started providing a third dose to anyone over 60 years old. By August 13 the R0, the number of people infected by someone who becomes infected with COVID had dropped to below one among the age group. Officials believe the booster shots, and people with vaccine hesitancy getting their first shot have helped control the numbers. Israel has expanded booster shots to people 40 and older.

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 (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.

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Hospital Status

On August 23, 84.8% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,258 acute care beds available statewide and 292 in King County. The state lost 52 staffed beds total yesterday due to healthcare workers with COVID no longer being able to provide patients care. The Northwest, Central, and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization, and the West and East Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,345 adult COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 61 from yesterday, which is 15.2% of all acute care patients.

Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 23, 2021

Statewide ICUs were 85.0% occupied with 181 staffed beds available, 68 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU climbed to 364 and the state lost 10 staffed ICU beds due to COVID infected healthcare workers. A combined 1,648 adult patients are hospitalized in Washington state, another new record.

Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 23, 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, 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.

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 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

School Board meetings from Oroville to Monore to Redmond descended into chaos as antimask and anti-vaccination activists used public comment time to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories. In the Lake Washington School District, a group of activists refused to wear masks, forcing the school board to delay the meeting by 30 minutes to move to a virtual setting.

Several people on Twitter and Tik Tok have been working to identify people who show up at school protests and events across the country and have identified a core of approximately 20 to 25 actors. They criss-cross the country and appear at different meetings. One of the presenters at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors last week was identified as an actress who has been at numerous protests and school board meetings across the United States.

The BBC ran a report on a group of YouTube influencers that were approached to spread COVID misinformation via a marketing firm. The company offered to compensate creators as much as 2,000 Euros to spread misinformation and link to dubious articles about vaccine safety.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee and the state schools chief, Chris Reykdal, appealed to state residents to take up their grievances on the student mask mandate with their offices and not at the local level.

In Franklin County, holder of the worst positivity rate in the state, a County Commissioner refused to wear a mask, derailing the meeting. “In defiance of the Governor’s mask mandate, one of the Commissioners showed up without a mask, causing the meeting to not happen. What happened, instead was several campaign speeches from local candidates as well as public comments from several Franklin County residents.”

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Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

As noted above in the Back to School section, the Lake Washington School District board meeting was disrupted last night by antimask and anti-vaccination protesters. A video on the School District’s website shows the board asking the audience to wear masks, and individuals off-camera refusing. The board calls a 30-minute recess to move to a different location, per Washington state law.

Most people left but several refused, and argued with a female police officer that she could be fined $250,000 for making them leave. Outside in the parking lot, several parents reported they were intimidated and threatened, with people taking pictures of license plates.

Classes are scheduled to start in the Lake Washington School District on September 1, 2021.

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National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 229,831 new cases and 908 deaths yesterday, but it is important to note that would include a weekend’s worth of data from a number of states. Nationwide, 11.29% of COVID tests are coming back positive.

With the Pfizer vaccine receiving full FDA approval, a tidal wave of vaccination mandates roll in

A growing list of companies and colleges have mandated their employees receive the COVID vaccination as part of their terms of employment unless they can provide a medical or deeply held religious belief.

Most notable is Disney World, which has a unique regulatory relationship with the state of Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis has banned vaccine and mask mandates in his state and is battling a number of cruise lines, including Disney, on requiring proof of vaccination before sailing.

The Service Trade Council Union and Disney reached an agreement to require vaccines for all employees with the union by October 22.

CVS Health is requiring all employees to be vaccinated by October 31 and new hires to have received their first vaccine dose before beginning employment, effective September 15. These are the most recent major additions that already included:

  • Amtrak
  • Anthem
  • Ascension Health
  • AT&T
  • Bank of America
  • BlackRock
  • Capital One
  • Cardinal Health
  • Centene Corporation
  • Chevron
  • Cisco Systems
  • Citigroup
  • CNN
  • Delta Airlines
  • Deloitte
  • Facebook
  • Ford Motor
  • Frontier Airlines
  • Google
  • Hawaii Airlines
  • Hess
  • Jefferies Financial Group
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Lyft (office employees)
  • McDonald’s (office employees)
  • Microsoft
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Netflix
  • Northwestern Mutual
  • Pfizer
  • Saks Fifth Avenue
  • Tyson Foods
  • Uber Technologies (office employees)
  • Union Square Hospitality Group
  • United Airlines
  • UPS
  • Walgreens (office employees)
  • Walmart (office employees and employees who travel)

Over 750 colleges and universities are now requiring vaccinations for faculty and/or students. New mandates were announced by the University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Louisiana.

Alabama

Labor and Delivery nurse Haley Richardson, 32, lost her unborn child and died of COVID on August 20, in a report from her family. Richardson was unvaccinated and became ill at the end of July. She made a final Facebook post on August 9 and lost her unborn child on August 18. Doctors initially had her as a candidate for ECMO, but her condition continued to deteriorate and there was no available equipment. Richardson’s surviving more, and first child, have since been vaccinated. Dr. Akila Subramaniam reported there were ten pregnant women in the ICU at UAB hospital, and 7 on ventilators.

Arkansas

In a press conference on Tuesday, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson reported the state had run out of ICU beds. He states that hospitals are trying to put more ICU beds online. He also appealed for residents to stop taking Ivermectin stating the Arkansas Poison Control Center is taking an increasing number of people asking for assistance after taking the livestock medication.

California

Los Angeles County officials are reporting that COVID hospitalizations appear to be leveling off, with only two new patients admitted yesterday. The county, which has a population larger than most states, has 1,724 COVID patients in the hospital.

Florida

Doctors and nurses in South Florida are reporting multiple facilities only have a 6 to 12-hour oxygen supply to support patients. Shippers are struggling to supply liquid oxygen to hospitals throughout the state. Trucking companies are blaming Governor Ron DeSantis, who has refused to declare a state of emergency. A limited state of emergency declaration would enable trucking companies to bypass some motor transport rules, allowing them to increase shipments.

Hawaii

Hawaii is reeling from the worst surge in COVID cases since the first case came to the state. The governor is now asking tourists to stay away, is limiting the number of available rental cars, and curbing the number of people who can go into restaurants.

It’s “a risky time to be traveling right now,” David Ige warned on Monday, asking visitors and residents to limit their travel to essential businesses only. “I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii. It’s not a good time to travel to the islands,” he said.

Idaho

Idaho hospitals are in danger of being run as officials openly talk about having to move to “crisis standards of care” which could result in some people not receiving medical treatment. In less than a month, the number of people in Idaho hospitals with COVID went from 8% to 20%. The state has sent a request to FEMA for emergency staffing.

“Idaho is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitals are at, or quickly nearing, capacity in ICU and Critical Care Units across the state and hospitals are reporting significant staffing challenges,” said a request sent Friday from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Multiple Idaho hospitals are asking for help…they don’t have enough nurses, nursing assistants, or respiratory therapists,” it said.

Today the state issued a second request for 235 full-time health care workers. Historically, Idaho has transferred their sickest patients to hospitals in Washington, Oregon, and Utah, but all three states are dealing with their own surges.

Louisiana

LSU will require proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR tests for anyone 12 and older to attend a game at Tiger Stadium. Children 5 to 11 years old will have to show a negative COVID-19 PCR test, and LSU is the first school in the SEC to create this policy.

Louisiana set a grim record on Tuesday, joining Florida in setting a new all-time daily record for deaths.

Nebraska

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is reinstating an indoor mask mandate as cases surge in the heartland. The mandate will go into effect on August 26 and is set to expire on September 30. the mandate includes Nebraska’s second-largest city, Lincoln, Lincoln Public Schools, and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

“It’s sobering to think about two months ago I was celebrating with our hospital teams that we were finally pulling out of this pandemic,” said Derek Vance, President of CHI Health St. Elizabeth and Nebraska Heart. “After more than a year of intense strain and stress on our healthcare system, our hospitals were beginning to feel back to normal. And today, we find ourselves right back in the middle of the pandemic. The number of COVID patients at St. Elizabeth’s has risen exponentially in recent weeks, to the point that we have reopened and filled a dedicated COVID unit.”

Oregon

Governor Kate Brown issued the strictest mask mandate in the nation. The state already required masks indoors but will now require masks outdoors starting August 27, regardless of vaccination status. This includes large outdoor events where physical distancing is not possible but does not include casual encounters like two people passing on a sidewalk. Children under 5, people eating, drinking, sleeping, camping, the houseless, people practicing competitive sports, providing a speech or entertainment in an outdoor public setting, are exempt which doing these activities.

Another 63 people are hospitalized for COVID in Oregon, with 1,000 patients now under care in hospitals. The state reported 30 deaths including a 31-year-old, and 283 individuals in the ICU.

South Carolina

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Crhis Lombardozzi of the Spartanburg Regional Health Care System, told WYFF Channel 4 that over 90% of their COVID patients are unvaccinated, and “we are struggling.”

“Like a lot of hospitals, particularly in the southeast, we are seeing a mega surge in COVID-19 cases.”

At the beginning of July, the hospital system was treating three COVID patients, they are now treating 210. The hospital is at 96% capacity and the average age for COVID patients is 53 years old.

South Dakota

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally ended eight days ago and COVID cases have started to increase dramatically. COVID cases are now up 352% and Meade County is seeing a test positivity rate of 36.1%, the highest in the state. State officials are working on contract tracing now and plan to issue a report.

Texas

The small Texas town of Iraan, has essentially been shutdown as almost half of COVID tests are coming back positive. The school district shut down after five days because 25% of the staff and 16% of the students were sick with COVID. School won’t restart until August 30, and the town doesn’t have enough healthy teachers to do virtual education.

Hermann-Memorial Hospital, the largest public hospital system in Texas, had to close three emergency rooms in suburban areas of the sprawling city.

“Earlier [Monday] afternoon, Memorial Hermann made the difficult decision to temporarily close three of its off-site 24-hour Emergency Rooms at its Convenient Care Centers in Kingwood, Spring, and Sienna. As COVID-19 continues to rapidly surge in the Greater Houston area, and with hospitalizations exceeding prior surge volumes, our workforce is being pushed to the limit. We are actively pursuing all solutions to help ease the burden on our hardworking frontline staff and ensure that we continue providing safe, high-quality care to all those who need it.

Closing these locations allows us to reassign the staff to other Memorial Hermann locations where their help is critically needed. It also eliminates the need to transfer these patients to the main hospital for admission, if necessary.

Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin interim president Tommy Thompson says he will ignore Republican lawmakers who say he needs statehouse approval to enact COVID regulations on campuses across the state.

“We believe under (state law), we have complete authority to regulate, to control, supervise and maintain the structures on our campuses, but also at the same time, provide for the safety and the welfare of all of our faculty, our employees and of course, our great students,” Thompson told reporters.

Thompson, a four-term Republican former governor of Wisconsin and former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, said he doesn’t want to “pick a fight” with the Republican-led Legislature, but will stand his ground if his actions are challenged.

We reported last week about Wisconsin state senator Andre Jacque, who has been an outspoken critic of masks and COVID vaccines, who is hospitalized with COVID. No further update has been given since last week, but state Rep. Shae Sortwell asked his Facebook followers to pray for Jacque.

“He is in serious need of your prayers tonight,” Sortwell said. “He is in the hospital with Covid induced pneumonia.”

As we were writing this update, it was reported that Jacque is on a ventilator.

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Misinformation

A meme making the rounds on social media falsely claims the drug Thalidomide was approved by the FDA, as an argument against the COVID vaccine

The drug Thalidomide rose in popularity in post-World War II Europe and was marketed as a non-barbiturate sleep aid. In 1957 the drug was sold over-the-counter in Germany, based on the drug makers’ safety claims.

Three years later, the drug was being sold in 46 countries, mostly as a prescription, and was almost as popular as aspirin. Australian OBG/YN Doctor William McBride observed that the drug alleviated the symptoms of morning sickness among pregnant women. He started making “off-label” prescriptions.

Off-label is when a drug is prescribed to be used as a treatment not outlined by the drugmaker. The success in Australia sent demand for the medication through the roof.

Just a year later, Dr. McBride started observing horrible birth defects among children born by the women who took the drug. The drug interfered with the babies’ normal development, causing many of them to be born with phocomelia, resulting in shortened, absent, or flipper-like limbs. A German newspaper soon reported 161 babies were adversely affected by thalidomide, leading the makers of the drug—who had ignored reports of the birth defects associated with it—to finally stop distribution within Germany.

In the United States, FDA Inspector Frances Kelsey was under tremendous pressure to approve the drug, and she steadfastly refused. She refused to provide authorizations specifically because there were no U.S. clinical trials or safety data provided by the manufacturer.

Thalidomide was never approved by the FDA for any use in the United States. We rate this meme completely false.

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BIPOC, Breaking News, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 23, 2021

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) On Monday, Washington state’s renewed mask directive went into effect, the FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer COVID vaccine for people 16 and over, and Washington hospitals remain extremely busy. Shortly after the Pfizer vaccine was approved, the Pentagon announced that military personnel will be required to get the jab.

Over the weekend former President Donald Trump was booed after encouraging rally-goers in Alabama to get vaccinated and Mississippi issued an emergency order instituting the harshest laws in the country for people who break quarantine.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 23, 2021.

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Washington State Update for August 23, 2021

Washington state COVID update

If there was any good news in the most recent report, the data is indicating a continued slowdown in the rate of growth for new cases. Through August 15, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 482.1 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set on Friday. Benton, Cowlitz, and Franklin continue to have an extreme number of new cases. Tiny and sparsely populated Garfield County had 9 active COVID cases through the period, the most ever reported. The USA Today COVID Tracker indicated that on Friday, Washington reported 3,780 new COVID cases.

Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 15, 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 12.28%, and over the previous 7 days, 13.25%. This is a significant jump from last week and could indicate that the flattening of the curve was an aberration. Other states such as Arkansas and Louisiana saw the same trend. These numbers indicate continued widespread community transmission, driven by the unvaccinated.

The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased again to 8 per day and the USA Today COVID tracker reported 33 deaths in Washington state Thursday. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing. The growing number of fatalities would align with the spike in hospitalizations that started two weeks ago.

Seattle Mariners announce new mask requirements

In compliance with the new mask mandate, the Seattle Mariners are requiring all person over 5, regardless of vaccination status to mask up in the indoor areas of T-Mobile Park.

“Masks are required for all fans and employees regardless of vaccine status while in indoor areas at T-Mobile Park such as elevators, bathrooms, indoor clubs or restaurants, and the Team Store. Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear a mask at all times. Masks must cover both nose and mouth. You are welcome to remove your mask when actively eating or drinking, or when seated in your seat.”

Proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter Mariners’ games at T-Mobile Park. The next home game for the M’s is on August 26, 2021, at 7:10 PM.

COVID outbreak hits Pierce County Jail, and Benton County offers commisary for vaccinations

The Pierce County Jail is dealing with a COVID outbreak that has sickened 30 inmates and put hundreds more in isolation. The outbreak is hampering operations at the jail, preventing the release of some quarantined prisoners, and forcing officials to book only individuals arrested for suspicion of violent crimes. That includes crimes such as murder, manslaughter, first-degree assault (equivalent to attempted murder under RCW), rape, child molestation, kidnapping, child assault, domestic violence, and possessing explosive devices.

COVID ravaged Benton County has come up with a novel, albeit controversial way to encourage inmates to get vaccinated. Officials are offering packages of ramen, a popular commissary item for inmates nationwide, in exchange for getting vaccinated. Officials explained that anyone who is held at the jail for any period of time is eligible, as long as they were not previously vaccinated. The program has proven to be successful, with 90 inmates getting their vaccination.

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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 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine on Monday. The Pfizer vaccine will be marketed under the brand name Comirnaty, and the generic version will be distributed under the name tozinameran.

The vaccine was given full approval for individuals 16 years of age and older, according to the FDA, and will continue to be distributed under an emergency authorization to individuals 12 to 15 years old. Additionally, the FDA has given full approval of a third dose to people with certain immunocompromised individuals.

“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.” 

Phase I testing of the German developed Pfizer vaccine began in May of 2020, jumpstarted by prior research on SARS and MERS vaccines. The vaccine received formal emergency authorization approval on December 11, 2020, and distribution started in the United States on December 14, 2020.

Specifically, in the FDA’s review for approval, the agency analyzed effectiveness data from approximately 20,000 vaccine and 20,000 placebo recipients ages 16 and older who did not have evidence of the COVID-19 virus infection within a week of receiving the second dose. The safety of Comirnaty was evaluated in approximately 22,000 people who received the vaccine and 22,000 people who received a placebo 16 years of age and older.

For some of the Phase III trial members, the final authorization will close the door on the question of whether they received the vaccine or the placebo.

The agency reviewed over 340,000 pages of information and data as part of the authorization process. This included reviewing a small number of adverse events that included myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of the vaccine. People who were biologically assigned male gender at birth and under 40, had the most risk, with 12 to 17-year-olds having the highest observed number of incidents. There were a handful of hospitalizations and no reported deaths.

The Moderna vaccine remains under review for full approval, which is expected to come in October. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not been submitted for full approval at this time. Full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 to 15 is expected to come early next year, and emergency approval for children 5 to 11 should happen before the end of 2021.

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.

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Hospital Status

On August 23, 84.7% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,368 acute care beds available statewide and 275 in King County. The Northwest and South Central Regions were over 80% utilization and the Central, West, and East Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,284 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 63 over the weekend, which is 14.4% of all acute care patients.

Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 22, 2021

Statewide ICUs were 85.7% occupied with 173 staffed beds available, 64 located in King County. The number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU climbed to 332. A combined 1,616 adult patients hospitalized is a new record.

The Washington Hospital Association is indicating a lower number, and we have requested the Washington State Department of Health to review the disparity between the two data sources.

Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 19, 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 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.

The state reported 26 new COVID deaths over the weekend.

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Back to School

No update

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

Locally, the number of COVID patients at EvergreenHealth facilites in Kirkland and Monroe increased from last week. Kirkland was reporting 36 patients hospitalized, up from 26 last week. Monroe reported 6 patients hospitalized, up from 5 last week. The 36 patients is nearly the peak set in January 2021, but well below March 2020 when the Kirkland hospital became the first facility in the United States to face a major outbreak.

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National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 36,692 new cases and 200 deaths yesterday, but it is important to note that 70% of states no longer report data over the weekend (including Washington). Nationwide, 11.46% of COVID tests are coming back positive.

Pentagon to mandate COVID vaccines for all active duty troops

The Department of Defense intends to mandate the Pfizer vaccine for all active duty servicemembers, according to a Pentagon announcement.

“Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved, the department is prepared to issue updated guidance, requiring all service members to be vaccinated. A timeline for vaccination completion will be provided in the coming days, John F. Kirby said at a press briefing. 

Of the 1.4 million active-duty service members, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that slightly more than one million are fully vaccinated, and another 237,000 were partially vaccinated at the start of August. Resistance to the vaccine is particularly strong for the estimated 160,000 servicemembers who have not started vaccination. Depending on their rank, servicemembers could face a variety of disciplinary actions, including court-martial.

The Pentagon also announced that COVID testing was being provided to any evacuee from Afghanistan who exhibits or reports COVID-like symptoms before boarding an evacuation aircraft. All persons are then screened upon their arrival at temporary safe havens in Qatar and Germany.

Former Presidents advocates for vaccination and gets booed in Alabama

On Saturday at a GOP-led political rally in Cullman, Alabama, former President Donald Trump was booed by the audience when he told them to get vaccinated.

“You know what? I believe totally in your freedoms. You got to do what you have to do, but I recommend: Take the vaccines. I did it – it’s good,” the former President said. The audience fell silent as a wave of boos emerged from the crowd.

“That’s alright. You got your freedoms. But I happen to take the vaccine. If it doesn’t work, you’ll be the first to know. I’ll call Alabama say, ‘Hey you know what?’ but it is working.”

The unvaccinated are costing American hospitals a lot

A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicated that 113,000 preventable COVID hospitalizations in June and July have cost United States hospitals $2.3 billion, and that is likely an underestimate. It is estimated that 98.3% of all COVID patients hospitalized in the two-month period were unvaccinated.

Alabama

Former President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Cullman, Alabama tomorrow, forcing the city to declare a COVID state of emergency. Alabama added 3,800 new COVID cases on Wednesday and the state ran out of ICU beds the day before. The declaration of the State of Emergency allowed the city to provide the additional personnel and equipment for this weekend’s political rally after it was requested by Cullman Regional Hospital, which is overwhelmed with patients.

Arizona

The election audit being conducted by Cyber Ninjas took another strange turn on Monday, with the Arizona Senate President Karen Fann reporting that two of the five members of the election audit team, including Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, are “quite sick” with COVID. The final report, which was supposed to be submitted today was not issued. No timeline has been given on when a final report will be submitted to the Arizona GOP.

Florida

Seventy-five doctors at a Palm Beach Gardens Hospital staged a symbolic walkout over working conditions and the number of unvaccinated patients flooding the facility. “We are exhausted. Our patience and resources are running low and we need your help,” said Dr. Rupesh Dharia from Palm Beach Internal Medicine.

Now, these doctors are sounding the alarm and pleading for the community to get vaccinated. They said it’s not a political move, but a call for help.

The number of pediatric patients continues to grow in Florida, with children from birth to 19 years old showing the highest rates of positivity for the first time. From August 13 to August 19, children 12 and under that were tested for COVID had a positivity rate of 23%. Those age 12 to 19 were nearly 25% positive. Florida Government Ron DeSantis has defunded school districts that instituted mask mandates. The United States Department of Education has stepped in to fill the funding gap.

Five police officers in South Florida have died of COVID in the last week, including 27 years old Jennifer Sepot of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. In Sarasota County, officials are dealing with a critical staffing shortage with 94 staff members, almost 10% of the force, out of work with COVID symptoms.

Georgia

As many school systems in the Peachtree State enter their fourth week of school, COVID cases continue to surge. The Metro Atlanta area, with 14 school disticts, has reported 6,300 new cases among students during the previous week. Students five to 12 years old are the most impacted. Two faculty members also died last week. Both were sick before the start of the new school year.

WSB is reporting more than 2,000 children a day are testing positive for COVID.

In Marietta, Georgia, former surgical technician Jessica Renzi was fired over the weekend after posting a video on Tik Tok many deemed anti-Semitic. In the video which went viral and was shared across multiple social media platforms, Renzi suggested having her vaccination number tattoed to her arm, in an apparent mockery of Holocaust victims. Renzi, who deleted her social media accounts, also had created numerous videos sharing COVID misinformation while wearing her hospital scrubs.

Tik Tok creator Jessica Renzi’s video resulted in her firing on sunday

Hawaii

With hospitals in Hilo and Honolulu at or near collapse, the archipelago is considering a return to travel restrictions for domestic travelers. State officials are considering people showing their vaccination cards to get into gyms, restaurants, and other public spaces, as well as implementing curfews. The remote state has 392 people in the hospital, almost 100 more than the January 2021 peak.

Tutu Man Kawaikapu Hewett — a founding member of Hawaii Quarantine Kapu Breakers is calling for stricter measures, including stricter enforcement of Hawaii’s existing COVID restrictions.

“I’m a great-grandfather, a grandfather, a father. I want to make sure that everyone survives this. I’m going to support anything and everything that makes us safer,” Hewett said.

Kentucky

COVID is starting to sweep northward into Appalachia, including the Bluegrass State. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported the state has a record number of patients in acute and ICU care, with more than 20 hospitals facing staffing shortages and converting space to build COVID ICUs.

State officials reported there are 1,890 people hospitalized with 529 in intensive care and 301 on ventilators. Despite the surge, the Kentucky legislature is working on limiting the power of the governor to remove safety protocols in place.

Maine

Although Maine has a relatively low number of COVID patients, the numbers in ICU and on ventilators are in a word, alarming. Officials reported on Monday there are 123 COVID patients hospitalized, with 61 in the ICU and 25 on ventilators.

“This is what’s happening right here, and it’s pretty stark,” Liechty said. “We’re still doing better as a state than most other places, but delta has highlighted the geographic disparities in uptake of the vaccine in our state.”

The statewide vaccination rate is about 62 percent, but there are wide differences between counties.

Massachusetts

Cases are starting to grow in the New England state where only 3.7% of residents report they will never get vaccinated. Massachusetts state officials reported 3,335 new cases with 550 people hospitalized, and 139 in the ICU. The positive test rate is elevated in the state, but nowhere near peak levels set in April 2020 or January 2021.

Mississippi

The Mississippi State Department of Health on Friday raised eyebrows nationally, issuing the strictest COVID quarantine laws in the United States.

All persons, including fully vaccinated individuals, infected with COVID-19 must remain in the
home or other appropriate residential location for 10 days from onset of illness (or 10 days from
the date of a positive test for those who are asymptomatic). A negative test for COVID-19 is not
required to end isolation at the end of 10 days, but you must be fever-free for at least 24 hours with
an improvement of other symptoms. Mississippi K-12 schools are required to exclude all students
and faculty diagnosed with COVID-19 from the school setting during the isolation period (as
above).

The failure or refusal to obey the lawful order of a health officer is, at a minimum, a misdemeanor
punishable by a fine of $500.00 (41-3-59) or imprisonment for six months or both. If a life-threatening disease is involved, failure or refusal to obey the lawful order of a health officer is a
felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000.00 or imprisonment for up to five years or both.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire COVID test positivity has reached the highest level since January with 82 people hospitalized.

Oregon

Oregon continues to grapple with rising cases with officials reporting there are only 47 ICU beds available statewide. The governor has activated 2000 National Guard members to supplement the medical system and has requested more than 500 medical professionals to help support the state. Rural counties are feeling the brunt of the epidemic due to political polarization, misinformation, and low vaccination rates.

South Carolina

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Crhis Lombardozzi of the Spartanburg Regional Health Care System, told WYFF Channel 4 that over 90% of their COVID patients are unvaccinated, and “we are struggling.”

“Like a lot of hospitals, particularly in the southeast, we are seeing a mega surge in COVID-19 cases.”

At the beginning of July, the hospital system was treating three COVID patients, they are now treating 210. The hospital is at 96% capacity and the average age for COVID patients is 53 years old.

Texas

A 77-year old Carnival Cruise Line passenger died last week after catching COVID on a ship sailing out of Galveston. According to her family, Marilyn Tackett, 77, started to feel unwell when the ship arrived for a port of call visit to Roatan, Belize. When her family returned from a shore excursion, Tackett was having difficulty breathing. The ship’s doctor notified the family that Tackett would need to be put on a ventilator immediately.

Belize hospital officials initially refused to treat Tackett without a $5,000 cash payment. Tackett was placed on a ventilator but her insurance would not cover her overseas medical treatment or an air ambulance to return her to the United States. A GoFundMe was set up to raise $30,000 and she was flown to Tulsa, Oklahoma, but Ms. Tackett died on August 14. Tackett was vaccinated.

Carnival reported a total of 27 cases on the ship during the sailing among 26 crew members and Ms. Tackett.

On our social media channels, we shared the story of David Cruz Meza, 38, of Corpus Christi, Texas. Meza tested positive for COVID on July 7 and was hospitalized on July 14. The father of three was unvaccinated and turned to social media to encourage others to get vaccinated.

@dmeezyay

Reply to @user089330629

♬ original sound – David Cruz Meza

His condition had deteriorated by July 22, and his family was reported he was placed on a ventilator on July 25. His wife made a public appeal for any hospital that would be willing to take him as an ECMO patient, and another appeal on August 11.

His family reported this morning that Meza passed away on August 16. In the final video he made, he appealed for people to get vaccinated.

@dmeezyay

Reply to @staceyvalenzuela2

♬ original sound – David Cruz Meza
David Cruz Meza on BIPAP appealing for people to get vaccinated on July 22, 2021, Meza died on August 16 from complications due to COVID

Utah

The state reported another 2,731 cases on Monday, with 20% of new cases among children from 5 to 18 years old.

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Misinformation

This isn’t misinformation as much as it is a misunderstanding. There have been nine major studies about how a person’s blood type may limit or increase their risks of catching COVID, and if certain blood types provide additional protection.

There is solid evidence that type O and Rh-negative blood groups might benefit some degree of extra protection from COVID infection and severe symptoms. Additionally, the same data supports that blood type A may increase the susceptibility to infection.

The misunderstanding comes from some people believing that type O blood instills a higher degree of natural immunity than it truly offers. In some darker corners on the Internet, there are some memes that try to convince people on social media that type O is a shield to symptomatic COVID – that isn’t true.

The National Institutes of Health published a study on July 19, 2021, explaining the Relationship between blood types and outcomes following COVID-19 infection. The report stated in the conclusion, “At this point in time, there does not appear to be any relationship between blood type and COVID-19–related severity of illness or mortality. Current literature does not support blood type as part of a predictive model of viral illness or mortality, and ABO/Rh screening should not be used as a triage mechanism. Future investigations can focus on the creation of a global COVID-19 database to account for population-based differences in blood types and testing protocols.”

This isn’t to say that people with type O blood gain no benefit, or that people with type A should take extra precautions. The evidence that exists today does not indicate type O provides a wall of substantial extra protection.

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BIPOC, Breaking News, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 20, 2021

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) Multiple sources reported to us today that the state of Washington is considering a plan to place renewed restrictions on gatherings within public indoor spaces, as hospitalizations reached a new record. There is some evidence that the growth of new cases may be slowing down, as more hospitals report they are running out of resources.

There are reports out of Washington D.C. that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine may receive full FDA approval next week. Trials for both the vaccine started more than a year ago, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was released later, requiring more data.

Bonadventure Senior Living is under fire after a recruiter for the company in Oregon posted a video on Tik Tok called for unvaccinated nurses to work for the eldercare company in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. That story took a much darker turn today with new allegations of criminal activity.

This update uses the latest data from the Washington State Department of Health released on August 19, 2021.

vaccinationhospitalsschoolslocalnationalmisinformation

Washington State Update for August 20, 2021

Are new COVID restrictions coming?

Governor Inslee is considering setting capacity limits for indoor public venues, according to several people we spoke to today. The plan being considered would not return Washington state to the phases used during the spring of 2021 but would put limits on the number of people who can gather in one place in specific public settings. No specific date was given, but there were indications if the plan is implemented it would happen end of August or early September.

On August 13, the National Terrorism Advisory Bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expressed concern over the growing threat from domestic extremists groups due to the rise of COVID cases.

“Extremists may seek to exploit the emergence of COVID-19 variants by viewing the potential re-establishment of public health restrictions across the United States as a rationale to conduct attacks.  Pandemic-related stressors have contributed to increased societal strains and tensions, driving several plots by domestic violent extremists, and they may contribute to more violence this year.”

The report did not mention any specific threats and is a broad assessment of the risk of terrorism, foreign or domestic, at a national level. A large anti-vaccination rally is planned to happen on Saturday in Olympia from noon to 3 PM.

Washington state COVID update

COVID continues to spread through Washington at levels not seen since December of 2020. Through August 12, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 455.8 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set yesterday. The USA Today COVID Tracker indicated that on Thursday, Washington reported over 3,900 new COVID cases. New cases continue to grow exponentially, with the epidemiological curve showing signs that things are slowing.

Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 12, 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 11.69%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.69%. We continue to see widespread transmission in the state, with another small decrease in the 7-day average.

The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased again to 8 per day and the USA Today COVID tracker reported 33 deaths in Washington state Thursday. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing. The growing number of fatalities would align with the spike in hospitalizations that started two weeks ago.

Are changes coming to the Evergreen State Fair?

In a KOMO News report, Jeremy Husby of Snohomish County Parks & Recreation expressed concern about the upcoming Evergreen Fair. Husby said that capacity limits were already in place, but they were expecting between 18,000 and 24,000 people to attend. According to the Washington State Department of Health, Snohomish County hospitals have reached the same utilization level as early 2021. “When we know we are at a capacity where we can’t not serve the public and we can’t provide a safe space,” Husby said. “We need to make that call to shut down the fair,” Husby told KOMO.

Bonadventure Senior Living

On Monday, TikTok user @thisdaneshguy reposted a recruiting video made by Bonadventure Senior Living employee Shanya Hall, which went viral. Bonadventure, based in Salem, Oregon, manages senior living facilities in Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. In the video, Hall says, “I just wanted to tell you that if you are a nurse, a caregiver, a tech, and you now need a new job because of this, hit me up. I’ll hire you. I need nurses, caregivers, med techs, in Washington, Colorado, and Oregon.”

@thatdaneshguy

♬ original sound – Danesh

The video was taken down on August 9, the same day Governor Jay Inslee announced that healthcare workers would be required to get vaccinated against COVID. The Salem Reporter ran a story on Tuesday where they interviewed Hall. In the interview, she said she made the video on July 29, and it had been viewed more than 50,000 times before it was taken down.

When asked what she would say to families who are concerned about unvaccinated health workers caring for their family members, she said protecting residents is the number one priority for Bonaventure.

“I get being concerned or being scared but we are taking precautions,” she said. “We wouldn’t want to put anybody in the way of danger.”

In the same story, Jeremiah Gray, divisional director of operations at Bonaventure for Oregon, stated that they could not require vaccines for their staff because of an Oregon law. However, that was only partially true while the recruiting video was still on TikTok. On August 5, 2021,  the Oregon Health Authority filed a final temporary rule requiring COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing for individuals who work in healthcare settings.

In a since-deleted Facebook post, Gray responded to the TikTok video on the Bonadventure, defending the company, and again stating that they are prevented by Oregon law to require vaccinations. That point became moot, with the federal nursing home vaccine mandate issued earlier this week. Today, in another video posted on TikTok by @thisdaneshguy, the creator claims that multiple employees of Bonadventure have shared internal e-mails with him about directives made by the company that put residents and patients at risk. Among the claims made, eight current and former employees are accusing Bonadventure of falsifying federal issued COVID vaccination cards, including in Washington state. That information has been turned over to The Statesman Journal, which ran a deeper story about Bonadventure yesterday.

Data from the United States and Israel indicates that the majority of COVID breakthrough cases that lead to severe cases are among people over 70 years old with multiple comorbidities. This was on of the key drivers for the United States to make the controversial decision to provide booster shots to recipients of mRNA vaccines.

The University of Washington Medicine is allegedly denying organ transplants to patients who refuse to get a COVID vaccine. In an interview with Jason Rantz, Sam Allen of Monroe claims he was removed from the heart transplant waitlist for refusing to get the COVID vaccine. Allen claims he had a “dispute” with his cardiologist over wearing a mask, and then was called.

“The cardiologist called me and we had a discussion, and he informed me that, ‘well, you’re going to have to get a vaccination to get a transplant.’ And I said, ‘well that’s news to me. And nobody’s ever told me that before.’ And he says, ‘yeah, that’s our policy.”

Allen was removed from the waitlist on June 7. Although post-transplant organ rejections are less common, and the medications to prevent the condition have dramatically improved, organ transplant patients face a lifetime of being immunocompromised. University of Washington Medicine would not confirm if this was a policy or part of evaluating how viable an individual patient is for a transplant.

Etcetra

Gig Harbor announced they are canceling all remaining summer events including Summer Sounds at Skansie and Movies in the Park.

Yesterday it was widely reported that WSU football coach Nick Rolovich, had agreed to get a COVID vaccine. The Seattle Times is reporting that when pressed, Rolovich would not clearly state that he would.

Former University of Washington wide receiver Lamarr Mitchell died of COVID after a 10-day battle. Lamarr was part of the 1991 Rose Bowl team and was described by his family as healthy and fit. He was unvaccinated and went from being on a ventilator to kidney failure in 24 hours. His family was called at 4 AM to come and say their final goodbyes but became stuck in traffic and did not get to the hospital in time. Lamarr’s parents are appealing for people to get vaccinated.

“We got to get the message out there we have to get the message out there; this is real. This is real,” she pleaded.

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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

There are multiple reports tonight that the Food and Drug Administration will issue full approval of the Pfizer COVID vaccine as early as Monday. Pfizer started Phase I trials of the COVID vaccine in May of 2020. Researchers used development efforts to create a vaccine for SARS and MERS as a foundation for the COVID vaccine. COVID or SARS-Cov-2 is similar to the original SARS strain, which appeared in 2003, and MERS which appeared in 2012.

Phase III trials were completed in November enabling the FDA to issue an emergency authorization for the vaccine. Distribution began on December 14, 2020, to tens of millions of Americans. Pfizer would be the first to receive full approval because it was the first vaccine to complete its trials in the United States.

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

On August 19, 86.4% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,211 acute care beds available statewide and 210 in King County. The Northwest, South Central, and East Regions were over 80% utilization and the Central and West Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,221 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 16 since yesterday, which is 13.7% of all acute care patients.

Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 19, 2021

Statewide ICUs were 85.9% occupied with 171 staffed beds available, 52 located in King County. Although the number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU dropped to 327.

Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 19, 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 West Region, which includes Tacoma, is down to 9 available ICU beds and the East Region, which includes Spokane, has 10 ICU beds available.

PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in hard-hit Cowlitz County issued a statement on Facebook that the hospital, “is now at maximum capacity.” The facility appealed that, “only people who are experiencing true medical emergencies come to our E.R. for care.”

In another comment, PeaceHealth stated, “We are experiencing an exceptionally high number of caregivers unable to work due to COVID-19, and we have great concern that – as patient demand continues to surge – we will be faced with a corresponding increase in the number of caregivers unavailable to help.”

The hospital is no longer doing COVID testing and advised people to use urgent care facilities. People were suggesting other locations to get a COVID test but frustration was boiling over.

Barbara Anderson wrote, “The only urgent care center in Longview will not see u unless u are a current Peace Heath [sic] patients [sic]. Where should the rest go?”

You can listen to a podcast with Cherelle Montanye, Chief Administration Officer for PeaceHealth St. John, and Cathrine Kroll, Director for Infection Prevention.

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Back to School

No update

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

No update

National Round-Up

Johns Hopkins University reported over 138,400 new cases and 908 deaths. Nationwide, 11.36% of COVID tests are coming back positive.

The CDC issued a warning tonight for older adults, and people in high-risk groups not to take cruises, even if they are vaccinated. The new guidance applies to older adults, people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to Friday’s announcement, the agency recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 avoid cruise ships.

Alabama

Former President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Cullman, Alabama tomorrow, forcing the city to declare a COVID state of emergency. Alabama added 3,800 new COVID cases on Wednesday and the state ran out of ICU beds the day before. The declaration of the State of Emergency allowed the city to provide the additional personnel and equipment for this weekend’s political rally after it was requested by Cullman Regional Hospital, which is overwhelmed with patients.

Florida

The Sunshine State only releases COVID data once a week on Friday’s and the data indicates that it may be hitting its COVID peak. New cases were flat week over week for the first time in over two months. However many state residents are complaining they can’t get tested. Of the 150,118 new cases reported, 20,331 were children under 12 years old. Florida has 16,973 people hospitalized with COVID, a new record.

Pictures taken by Louie Lopez at a monoclonal antibody treatment center recently set up by Governor Ron DeSantis went viral late this week. The images show people lying on the floor, barely able to move or breathe, and moaning waiting for treatment. The lobby only had two chairs according to Lopez, and one patient laid on the floor for almost 30 minutes before someone came with a wheelchair. A spokesperson for the city confirmed that according to organizers at the site, the woman in the picture was waiting to be treated with Regeneron.

Regeneron is only effective if given within the first 96 hours of the first sign of COVID symptoms that are mild to moderate. Ron DeSantis has fought against any entity that has attempted to mandate vaccines or masks, and has only loosely promoted the COVID vaccine. The announcement that he was creating Regeneron clinics raised eyebrows when it was revealed that his top political contributor is also a major investor in Regeneron Pharmaceutical Inc.

Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando appealed for residents to conserve water due to a shortage of oxygen. The Orlando Utility Commission treats the city’s water with liquid oxygen and supplies that ordinarily go toward water treatment have been diverted to hospitals for patients suffering from the virus, Mayor Dyer said.

“We acknowledge that the No. 1 priority for the liquid oxygen should be for hospitals,” Dyer said at a news conference.

The city-owned utility typically goes through 10 trucks of liquid oxygen a week but its supplier recently said that it would be cut back to five to seven trucks a week to accommodate hospitals, said Linda Ferrone, OUC’s chief customer, and marketing officer.

Hawaii

Yesterday we reported that hospitals on the island of Oahu were on the brink of having to implement disaster plans. City officials in Honolulu made a “disaster area” declaration today. At Queen’s West Hospital, a rush of new COVID patients overwhelmed the hospital, on top of many already waiting for beds in the emergency room. The City set up a disaster area and tents.

Hawaii also appealed for traveling nurses, with more than 500 expected to arrive next week. Honolulu having to potentially move to “black tag triage” is coming at the same time that flooding rains are expected this weekend.

This disaster is happening at the same time that the state’s 1,200 first responders are fighting a court battle against Hawaii’s COVID vaccination mandate.

Hawaii has the strictest entry rules of all 50 states, but people are attempting to circumvent them using fake vaccination cards.

Mississippi

Seventy-three Mississippi hospitals have asked for a combined 1,450 healthcare professionals to supplement their staff, as the state’s hospital system teeters on the brink of collapse. Efforts that are described as “last-ditch” to shore up the system included support from the federal government and building two field hospitals in a parking garage.

Mississippi State Department of Health Reported a sharp spike in calls to their Poison Control Center due to Ivermectin poisoning. State officials sent out a health alert warning to health care providers about the use of the horse dewormer. Although Ivermectin is used in humans to treat scabies, it is highly concentrated for livestock. At least 70% of the calls into poison control have been for Ivermectin poisoning.

Mississippi also reported that the fastest-growing group infected with COVID is children from 5 to 17 years old. The state is seeing 20 to 30 pediatric patients hospitalized on any given day, with 3 to 5 needing ventilators.

There are so many COVID cases in the state, officials made an emergency order allowing school districts to offer hybrid and remote learning options through October 31.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire COVID test positivity has reached the highest level since January with 82 people hospitalized.

Oregon

There is no good news coming out of Oregon today. COVID hospitalizations have set a new record every day since August 10, in the Pacific Northwest State. In the last 30 days, cases have increased 500% putting the hospital system on the brink. Oregon is requesting outside help to come to the state including 35 physicians, 35 advanced practice providers, 300 registered nurses, 10 paramedics, and 100 respiratory therapists.

In Roseburg, a COVID patient died in the Emergency Department because there wasn’t an available ICU bed at CHI Mercy Health.

“A COVID-positive patient was in our Emergency Department, within our four walls, waiting for an open Intensive Care Unit bed to receive life-saving care. It had been several hours because other COVID-positive patients had filled those beds. Even after expanding ICU care onto other floors, there weren’t any beds available for this patient. We didn’t have enough. This patient died in the Emergency Department waiting for an Intensive Care Unit bed.”

Texas

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick blamed “Black Texas” for the surge of COVID in the Lonestar State. During an interview on Fox News Patrick said, “The Democrats like to blame Republicans,” Patrick said. “Well, the biggest groups in most states is African Americans who are not vaccinated. Last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.”

Blacks make up 12% of the population of Texas – a state where only 45% of all people are vaccinated. Black vaccination rates in the state match that among white Texans.

State officials previously were blaming undocumented immigrants for the spread of COVID in the state, but mostly backed away from the claim after the City of McAllen declared a state of emergency. Of the 586,000 undocumented immigrants processed in the city in the first seven months of 2021, 7,500 were COVID posted after testing – a rate under 2%. The state of Texas is at 19.8% positivity as of this Friday.

Georgia

The Peachtree State has the fourth-highest number of pediatric patients with COVID in the United States, just three weeks after school started. Children’s Hospitals are reporting ICUs are at 70% to 90% capacity and cases are continuing to grow.

“We haven’t reached that critical moment yet where we’re unable to provide that care,” said Dr. James Black, medical director of emergency services at Albany’s Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. “We’re doing everything we can to stay just ahead of that, but it’s a race and a race that most of us are losing.”

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Misinformation

An ongoing piece of misinformation is the COVID vaccine has microchips in it. Typically the needle used to vaccinate an adult is 28 gauge and has an outer diameter of 1/3 of an mm. The inner diameter is about 1/6 of an mm (0.184 mm). That’s about thick enough to pass a human hair through with a touch of room to spare. The smallest 5G chip available today is about the size of your fingernail. That’s just the 5G chip, not the microprocessor to run it, not an antenna that can transmit through your body to the nearest 5G tower. It doesn’t include a power source and most critically, it doesn’t include having a heat sink or other way to regulate the temperature.

The RFID chips they inject into pets such as cats and dogs are about the size of a grain of rice. They provide no way to track, only identification with a scanner. The 12 gauge needle used to insert an RFID chip into a dog is almost 3 mm (and anyone who has had a large-bore IV can tell you, needles that big are very unpleasant). Additionally, they are passive RFID chips that don’t require a battery and are incapable of transmitting any data, let alone to a 5G cell tower.

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Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 19, 2021

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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.

[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.

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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.

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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

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 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

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.

[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.”

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.

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.

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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

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 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.”

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. 

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 school systems cannot opt out. 

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. 

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.