Data Snapshot
UW Medicine Hospitals:
King County: The county reported 388 new positive cases and 2 new deaths since Dec. 6.
Washington: The state reported 691,077 cases and 9,460 deaths as of Dec. 6.
United States: The CDC reports 49,198,746 cases and 787,064 deaths as of Dec. 7.
Global: WHO reports 265,713,467 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,260,888 deaths as of Dec. 7.
Numbers update frequently, please follow links for most up-to-date numbers.
UW Medicine COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update
Total Vaccine Doses Administered: 466,757
As of Dec. 7, 2021.
UW Medicine in the News
KING 5: Seattle lab studies omicron variant of COVID-19
Featuring: Michael Gale, PhD, Immunology
“Virus samples from Washington’s three positive omicron cases of COVID-19 are now in the hands of scientists in a super secure, Level 3 containment lab at UW Medicine’s complex of research centers in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. ‘Do current antibodies from vaccination protect against omicron?’ said Dr. Michael Gale about the upcoming experiments. Gale is the UW Medical School’s co-director for Emerging and Infectious Diseases, and Director for the Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease. His department also works with the National Institutes of Health. In the Seattle lab, samples of the virus can be grown and replicated for a series of experiments that will show either how well we’re protected by vaccines or not. ‘We ask if antibodies from people who’ve been vaccinated can actually neutralize the virus in culture. And if it can, it shows us it gives us vaccine protection against omicron,’ Gale said.”
Changing America: The conservative Supreme Court that embraced vaccine mandates
Featuring: Larry Corey, MD, Laboratory Medicine
“COVID-19 has already claimed over 760,000 American lives. The COVID-19 vaccines, shown to be highly effective and remarkably safe, relied on existing technologies that were harnessed and tested as soon as the federal government provided the necessary funding. One year later, we can see their effectiveness in how the virus has hit unvaccinated regions hardest. Vaccine mandates are fully in-line with our best science, and our best hope to control the delta and subsequent variants. It is time to recognize our mutual obligations to protect our children, our elderly, and our neighbors from disease — and accept the emphasis that our government places on this obligation.”
KHQ: Omicron detected in Washington State
Featuring: Geoffrey Baird, MD, PhD, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
“Washington has officially become the 13th state to confirm Omicron. The ages of the people who tested positive are two in their 20s and one person in their late 30s. The vaccination status is unknown and the state is currently in the investigation process with these people who tested positive. Dr. Umair A. Shah the Secretary of Health says this is something the state expected and prepared for. Dr. Shah said that he does not believe another lock down will be necessary but it is crucially important that we continue to wear masks and be smart in large crowds. DOH says they do not believe these cases are connected and travel history is unknown. Dr. Shah thanked Dr. Geoffrey Baird the Chair of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, UW Medicine Virology Laboratory which helped identify these cases in the state. Dr. Baird said, the cases were confirmed last evening in testing. Dr. Baird pointed out that his team has been screening dozens of sample tests, adding that they have the ability to do thousands of these tests a week. Dr. Baird said, if it wasn’t today it probably would’ve been tomorrow. They knew it was here.”
Tweet of the Week
What is the best way to fight the Omicron variant of COVID-19? Getting #vaccinated and #boosted. Read more in @TheAtlantic. https://t.co/4LNGjgjoOj
— UW Medicine (@UWMedicine) December 7, 2021
