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

August 30, 2021 David Obelcz

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington State Update for August 30, 2021

Washington state COVID update

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

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

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

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

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

Hundreds protest vaccine mandates in Olympia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Skagit County reopens testing and vaccination site as COVID cases soar

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

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

Vaccination

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

Vaccination effectiveness for preventing hospitalizations drops for oldest residents

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

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

CDC breaks with the Biden Administration on COVID booster shots

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hospital Status

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to School

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

First day of school for area districts:

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

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

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

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

National Round-Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arkansas

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

Arizona

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

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

California

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

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

Florida

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

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

Hawaii

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

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

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

Idaho

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

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

Louisiana

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

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

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

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

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

Ohio

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

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

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

Oregon

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

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

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

Misinformation

Taking the day off

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 27, 2021

August 27, 2021 David Obelcz

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

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

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

Washington State Update for August 27, 2021

Washington state COVID update

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

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

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

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

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

We learn more about the patient who died in Eastern Washington

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

University of Washington eliminates philosophical objection for COVID-19 vaccine

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

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

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

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

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

Vashon Island Fire Chief refuses COVID-19 vaccine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Southeast Spokane County Fair canceled due to COVID

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

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

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

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

Vaccination

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

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

Hospital Status

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to School

First day of school for area districts:

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

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

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

No update

National Round-Up

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

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

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

Arkansas

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

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

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

Arizona

California

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

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

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

Florida

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

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

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

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

Hawaii

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

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

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

Idaho

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iowa

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

Louisiana

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

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

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

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

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

Maine

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

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

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

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

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

Mississippi

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

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

Oregon

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

Texas

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

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

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

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

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

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

Misinformation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIPOC, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 26, 2021

August 26, 2021 David Obelcz

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

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

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

Washington State Update for August 26, 2021

Washington state COVID update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eatonville School District scraps contact tracing program for student athletes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vaccination

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

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

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

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

Hospital Status

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to School

First day of school for area districts:

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

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

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

No update

National Round-Up

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

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

Arkansas

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

Georgia

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

Florida

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

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

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

Hawaii

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

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

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

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

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

Idaho

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

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

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

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

Illinois

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

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

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

Maine

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

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

Maine is roughly the same size as Indiana.

Mississippi

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

Nebraska

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

North Carolina

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

Oregon

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

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

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

Pennsylvania

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

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

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

Tennessee

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

Texas

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

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

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

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

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

Misinformation

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIPOC, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 25, 2021

August 25, 2021 David Obelcz

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

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

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

Washington State Update for August 25, 2021

Washington state COVID update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vaccination

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

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

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

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

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

Hospital Status

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Back to School

No update

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

It was negative.

National Round-Up

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

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

Arkansas

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

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

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

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

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

District of Columbia

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

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

Florida

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

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

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

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

Hawaii

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

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

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

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

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

Idaho

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

Mississippi

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

New York

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

Oregon

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

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

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

South Dakota

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

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

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

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

Texas

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

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

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

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Misinformation

Taking the day off.

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 24, 2021

August 24, 2021 David Obelcz

[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.

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.
Malcontent News

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*

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.

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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

August 23, 2021 David Obelcz

[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.

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.

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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 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*

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.

Amplifying

CW: Racism & Extreme Anti-Semitism@WellstarHealth – this is Jessica Renzi, surgical tech at your Wellstone facility in Marietta, Georgia

There was more, a lot more, on her Tik Tok account before she deleted it this AM@Auntkaren01 @officialaronnc pic.twitter.com/w64f0ZQZ3M
— Malcontent News (@MalcontentmentT) August 21, 2021

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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Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 18, 2021

August 18, 2021 David Obelcz

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

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

Washington State Update for August 18, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vaccination

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hospital Status

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to School

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

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

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

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

“This is fundamentally a health and safety issue.”

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

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

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

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.

Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Local and national COVID update for August 17, 2021

August 17, 2021 David Obelcz

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

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

Washington State Update for August 17, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vaccination

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hospital Status

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to School

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

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

Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville

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

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

National Round-Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Malcontentment Happy Hour: May 13, 2021

Video May 14, 2021 Malcontent News Staff

Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from May 13, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.

Georgia Man busted after drilling holes in a U-Haul truck gas tank
Does Seattle have the 7th best BBQ in the United States?!?!
Acting Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz dismisses OPA use of force findings on June 1
Malcontented Minutes
- Kentucky Derby Scandal deepens
- Two Texas police officers shot and killed, one city worker wounded
- Police hold press conference on the body of missing Indigenous found on Turtle Mountain
- Black man beaten and robbed in Pennsylvania bar in racist incident
- Government issues warning not to put gasoline in plastic bags
- Florida woman arrested for pretending to be a high school student chasing Instagram clout
- Levi’s is championing pronoun use
- Evangelical Lutheran Church elects first openly transgender bishop
- A mare and foal find comfort in shared grief
- Two new mothers, one a gorilla, one human, bond at a Boston Zoo
Juneteenth law signed by Jay Inslee
COVID Update

BIPOC, Editorial, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

Malcontentment Happy Hour: April 28, 2021

Video April 29, 2021 Malcontent News Staff

Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

Content Warning

Editor’s Note: This show contains multiple videos of events that some viewers may find disturbing including graphic violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

The show from April 28, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

Exodus from the Seattle Police Department continues
All Fireworks Banned in King County Beginning in 2022
Auburn Police Treat Road Rage Victim Like a Criminal Suspect
King County Health Tells Business Leaders to Prepare for Phase 2 COVID Restrictions
Was the Stabbing In Bothell and the Shooting in Rainier Beach Asian-bias Crimes?
Malcontented Minuted – Police Edition
- Video shows Police seconds before the raid of Andrew Brown, Junior’s Home in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
- Video shows police officers fist-bumping and celebrating the injuries they caused to a 73-year old Alzheimer’s Patient
- Stephanie Bottom, 66, in brutalized by North Carolina police on body cam and is starting a federal lawsuit
- Virginia police officer misidentifies a cellphone as a gun and shoots Isaiah Brown 10 times
- Bodycam video of Anthony Alvarez being shot by Chicago Police shows him running away
- Two Hialeah, Florida Police officers have been arrested for writing fake traffic tickets
- Bodycam video released on April 28 shows Lymond Moses being shot by police after a pretext welfare check because he was sleeping in his car
- Tennessee police officer fired for high-fiving a suspect who used a racial slur during the arrest
- Bodycam video of Mario Gonzalez being arrested in Almeda, California shows officers restaining him for over 5 minutes before he dies in custody
- Prince Georges police officer arrested on multiple charges, including first-degree assault, after fellow officers turn him in for treatment of a Black teen suspect
Colleen Echohawk on Native-American Women Leaders