Data Snapshot
UW Medicine Hospitals:
King County: The county reported 264 new positive cases and 9 new deaths on Feb. 4.
Washington: The state reported 301,372 cases and 4,388 deaths as of Feb. 2.
United States: The CDC reports 26,277,125 cases and 445,264 deaths as of Feb. 3.
Global: WHO reports 103,989,900 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,260,259 deaths as of Feb. 4.
Numbers update frequently, please follow links for most up-to-date numbers.
UW Medicine COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update
Total Vaccine Doses Administered: 67,328
- Total first dose: 50,482
- Total second dose: 16,846
As of Feb. 3, 2021.
COVID-19 Literature Report
COVID-19 Literature Situation Report is a daily (M-F) newsletter put together by the Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness that provides a succinct summary of the latest scientific literature related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Takeaways: COVID-19 Literature Situation Report Feb. 3, 2021
- A randomized trial (RECOVERY) of azithromycin to treat COVID-19 found no differences between treatment and placebo groups in terms of survival, duration of hospitalization, proportion of patients discharged alive within 28 days, or proportion of patients meeting composite endpoints of mechanical ventilation or death. More.
- Interim analysis of data from the University of Oxford studies of the ChAdOx1 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccine suggested that lengthening the interval between vaccination doses was associated with increases in the clinical efficacy. The efficacy after the second dose was 82% with an interval of 12+ week between doses, compared to 55% with <6 weeks. Antibody responses were more than twice as high after a 12+ week interval between doses compared to <6 weeks among those who were 18-55 years old. Reduced viral shedding among vaccinated participants suggests a potential for reduced transmissibility. More.
- The 501Y.V1 SARS-CoV-2 variant (first identified in the UK) had around 10 times higher binding affinity for human ACE2 than the N501-RBD strain, suggesting a potential mechanism for the observed increase in infectivity of this strain. More.
COVID-19 Literature Surveillance Team, is an affiliated group of medical students, PhDs and physicians keeping up with the latest research on SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 by finding the newest articles, reading them, grading their level of evidence and bringing you the bottom line.
Read the latest report: Feb. 2 | Daily COVID-19 LST Report.
Listen to the latest podcast: Jan. 18 | COVID-19 LST Podcast.
UW Medicine in the News
KOMO News: State now starting to get 3-week COVID-19 vaccine allocation projections from feds
Featuring: Lisa Brandenburg, President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics
“Some health care providers, including UW Medicine, are not currently scheduling new first-dose appointments due to current lack of supplies. Right now, UW Medicine doesn’t yet know when those new appointments will resume, a spokesperson told KOMO News. In recent weeks, the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses that UW Medicine has received has ranged each week from approximately 11,000 during the week of Jan. 11 to approximately 9,400 for the week of Jan. 25, according to figures provided by UW Medicine. ‘We’re continuing to do a week-by-week evaluation. We are hopeful that there will be more vaccine coming and we are aware that the Biden administration is looking to create additional vaccine distribution across the country,’ said Lisa Brandenburg, President of UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics.”
The Seattle Times: After nearly 50 days in a Seattle hospital far from family, COVID-19 patient to go home to Alaska
Featuring: Kevin Patel, Oncology, Blood & Marrow Transplantation Intensive Care Unit
“Nastasia Xavier has developed a routine: She exercises with physical therapists during the day. She talks to her family on the phone and sometimes watches TV. But most days, she spends large swaths of time enjoying the view from her hospital window. ‘It’s beautiful here,’ she said Wednesday afternoon, admiring the region’s mountains and evergreen trees. Xavier — a 33-year-old mother of two who lives in Pilot Station, Alaska — has been hospitalized with COVID-19 at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) for nearly 50 days. She started feeling sick near the end of November, she said. On Nov. 24, she tested positive for coronavirus and on Thanksgiving was admitted to Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) in Bethel, a hospital that serves tribes in southwest Alaska. It was the sickest she’s ever felt. ‘It was worse than a cold,’ she said. ‘I had to push myself to eat.’”
KOMO News: Do COVID-19 survivors still need to get a vaccine?
Featuring: Anna Wald, Allergy & Infectious Diseases
“‘If you’re a COVID survivor, do you still need to get the vaccine?’ Wald said the recommendation is that COVID-19 survivors get the vaccine about 90 days after they recover from the infection and here’s why: ‘Not everybody that has had COVID has had a robust, strong immune response,’ Wald said. ‘And pretty much everybody after the vaccine has a very strong immune response. So this is one of those situations where you think that the vaccine may better than nature and provide better immunity, so that people are less likely to get re-infected.’”
South Seattle Emerald: Washington Study Showing COVID-19 Is Deadlier for Pregnant Women, Raises Questions About Vaccine Priorities
Featuring: Kristina Adams Waldorf, OB/GYN
“Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the lead author on the recent study, says the increased risk of death and hospitalization would certainly impact her decision to get the vaccine if she were pregnant. ‘If it were me and I’m balancing grave risks with disease versus theoretical risks of vaccination, I would take the vaccination in a heartbeat,’ she said. ‘Thankfully we live in the United States where the major clinical and scientific organizations have left women with the right to choose.’ Adams Waldorf was glad that the WHO changed its recommendation. She says the new statement is ‘much improved, because it respects a woman’s autonomy in making this decision, reflects our understanding that a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine biology is extremely unlikely to pose risks to the pregnancy, and finally that the risks of acquiring COVID-19 in pregnancy are significant and can be fatal.’ But having the right to choose a vaccine is not the same as having it available. Currently, pregnant women in Washington are not at the head of the line. People over 65, over 50 and living in a multigenerational home, health care workers, and first responders make up the groups eligible for vaccines now, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Pregnant people are not currently noted in any of the Phase 1 vaccine availability groups specifically.”
Tweet of the Week
Should I wear one mask or two? @UWMedicine @SethCohenID says focus on the fit of the mask and make sure it has multiple layers. Also, don't forget about maintaining physical distance and washing your hands.https://t.co/sUSb5SOzdm
— UW Medicine Newsroom (@uwmnewsroom) February 4, 2021
