Data Snapshot
UW Medicine Hospitals:
King County: The county reported 167 new positive cases and 0 new deaths on August 5.
Washington: The state reported 60,084 cases and 1,624 deaths as of August 4. A total of 1,010,191 people have been tested and 5.9% of those tests have been positive.
United States: The CDC reports 4,802,491 cases and 157,631 deaths as of August 6.
Global: WHO reports 18,614,177 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 702,642 deaths as of August 6.
*Numbers update frequently, please follow links for most up-to-date numbers.
UW Medicine in the News
Healthline: COVID-19 Is Likely to Be the Third-Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. This Year
Featuring: Ali Mokdad, IHME
“Just a few days ago, researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IMHE) at the University of Washington released their latest estimate on COVID-19 deaths. Based on current projections, they’re forecasting that 230,000 Americans could be dead by Nov. 1. ‘Unfortunately, that is the track we’re on,’ said Ali Mokdad, PhD, a professor of global health at the IMHE. ‘We have pretty much totally relaxed some of our social distancing mandates because there is a big concern about the economy,’ Mokdad told Healthline. ‘Some states have [reinstituted] some of these measures, but it’s not enough to contain the virus because all of us are susceptible.’ ‘These are not just numbers. These are loved ones, family members, essential workers who sustain our economy,’ he added.
Xinhua: New vaccine design strategy holds promise for COVID-19: study
Featuring: George Ueda, UW Medicine Institute of Protein Design
“A team of researchers has developed a new vaccine design strategy that could confer improved immunity against certain viruses, including those that cause AIDS, the flu, and COVID-19, according to a report released by the University of Washington Medicine (UW Medicine) on Tuesday. Using this technique, the scientists attached proteins from the surface of a virus, called antigens, to custom-made protein nanoparticles. This approach enables an unprecedented level of control over the molecular configuration of the resulting vaccine, the report said. This research, which includes pre-clinical evaluation of some initial vaccines in animals, is detailed in three new papers published Aug. 4.”
King 5 News: Puget Sound metro counties hope downward trend continues after recent rise of coronavirus
Featuring: John Lynch, Allergy & Infectious Diseases
‘“The numbers you’re seeing now are a reflection of what was happening two or three weeks ago,’ says Dr. John Lynch, who is the Medical Director for Infection Prevention Control at Harborview Medical Center and saw some of the earliest COVID 19 patients. He is also an associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington. That delay is due in part to the incubation period. It can take up to 14 days for an infected person to show signs of COVID-19. Lynch says the apparent increasing mask use appears to be helping in many places, including Yakima County which had been one of the state’s biggest hotspots. ‘It takes time for people to adapt, and I think we’re making great strides. And I think people are just used to it,’ Lynch said.
Newsmax: New Rules: Why You May Have to Wear Face Masks Outdoors
Featuring: Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman, Allergy & Infectious Diseases
“According to CNN, while scientists have said it’s less likely the virus is transmitted outdoors, it’s still a possibility, especially in a high-traffic area. ‘We have very little evidence of outdoor transmission. It’s not zero — there are definitely cases reported — but it’s much, much lower than inside,’ Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman, an infectious disease physician at UW Medicine, told The Washington Post. Health officials haven’t always been clear on when and where to wear face masks, so to simplify the message, many governments have decided to make a blanket ruling.”
USA Today: Bad data is bogging down the COVID-19 fight; US ‘needs to change,’ experts say
Featuring: Ali Mokdad, IHME
“Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington, has been trying to make sense of this summer’s COVID-19 surge. He says he can theorize only in a general way about why the virus spread and what to do about it. ‘Yes, the new cases appear to be mainly young people,’ he said. ‘Yes, they may be letting down their guard. Yes, it might make sense to close the bars.’ But as a global health expert at the university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, he says he should be able provide much more nuanced answers. ‘Why can’t we figure out what’s contributing to the recent spread? It is very simple,’ Mokdad said. ‘No access to data.”’
Tweet of the Week
Infection control practices and testing key to UW Medicine’s low rate of COVID-19 among staff members, says Dr. Seth Cohen @UWMedicine @sethcohenID https://t.co/582jTaJXA2 via @thedaily
— UW Medicine Newsroom (@uwmnewsroom) August 5, 2020
