Hello Thurston County!
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be dynamic in our county. Our community transmission rates have plateaued and today our COVID-19 case rate in Thurston County is 251.2 cases per 100K over 14 days. In the Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery, Thurston County is in the west region with Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Lewis Counties. Yesterday, Thurston County moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2 which allows for the opening of some businesses at limited capacity and increased sizes of social gatherings.
In order to move into Phase 2 regions must meet at least three of the following criteria, a decrease of 10% or more in transmission rate (cases/ 100k over 14 days), a decrease of 10% or more in the rate of COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100K population over 14 days, fewer than 90% of staffed ICU beds are filled, and the 7-day percent positivity of COVID-19 tests must be less than 10%. The State Department of Health reports these metrics each Friday and notes if regions have moved to a new phase in the Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery. The regions move to the new phase the following Monday. Regions can move both forward and backward every two weeks depending on whether or not they meet the required metrics. I am closely monitoring these metrics and collaborating with the other health officers in our region.
The COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, more commonly referred to as the United Kingdom (UK) variant, is in Washington State. This variant is more easily transmitted because it increases the ability of the virus to bind to our cells which increases the likelihood of infection with close contact. Data from the UK showed 11% of close contacts went on to develop infection from the previous strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For individuals exposed to the B.1.1.7 variant, 14.7% of close contacts went on to develop an infection. A close contact is defined as an individual who spent more than a cumulative 15 minutes or more within 6 feet of an individual with COVID-19 during their infectious period.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project that the UK strain may be the dominant strain of COVID-19 in circulation in the Unites States by the end of March. The CDC is also analyzing the data to determine if there is an increased risk of death or severe disease with this new strain. Additional, more readily transmitted strains have also been identified in California, Brazil, and South Africa. The scientific community is still learning more about these variants.
Our current available vaccines do provide some protection from these strains. The good news is the technology harnessed to make the current safe and effective vaccines can be used to provide protection from new mutations.
While there are many unknowns about these new strains, these variants are spread the same way other COVID-19 strains spread, through droplets and aerosols. With these new strains and our county moving into Phase 2 which allows increased gatherings and activity, it is even more important to be vigilant with preventative measures and intensify COVID-19 precautions. It is essential you continue to wear masks in public, maintain 6 feet or more of distance with non-household members, stay home when sick and instructed by public health, follow respiratory etiquette, and use hand hygiene. Viruses can only mutate when there is widespread transmission, so the best way to prevent mutations is to continue to be vigilant about preventing infections by continuing to follow these precautions.
I have been getting a lot of questions about how people who do not have access to the internet can make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine. If a Thurston County resident does not have internet (email) access, residents can call the Washington State Department of Health vaccine phone line at 888-856-5816 to receive assistance with making vaccine appointments as they become available and a Spanish option is also available.
If you are unable to reach DOH through their vaccine line, you may call Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) at 360-867-2610 for assistance. Due to the high call volume, DOH and PHSS are experiencing, please be patient if you are unable to receive immediate assistance. If you do have access to email, internet, or cell phone service, please use those methods in scheduling appointments before calling DOH or PHSS.
Wishing you the best of health,
Dimyana Abdelmalek, MD, MPH Health Officer, Thurston County
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