Why Washington State is seeing a 4th wave of COVID-19
Virus-related hospital stays have increased steadily since March.
May 4, 2021, 10:12 p.m.
7 min read
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSend this article via email
Even if COVID-19 vaccines are introduced in the US, Washington state will experience a fourth wave of infections. The number of hospitalizations increases between the ages of 40 and 59 – and among many, much younger ones.
Virus cases and hospital stays have increased steadily since March, and Governor Jay Inslee announced last week that the state had entered its fourth wave. In early April, he had three counties reset to phase 2 of the reopening restrictions.
Currently, 40 to 59 year olds make up the highest number of patients in hospitals, followed by 20 to 39 year olds. This is based on government data showing hospitalizations with COVID-like illnesses that do not rely on diagnosis, but monitor general trends.
Nurse Andraya Cell treats a patient in the COVID intensive care unit at UW Medical Center-Montlake in Seattle on January 26, 2021.
Ryan Erlewine, director of pharmacy and clinical support at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash., Told ABC News that people with “pandemic fatigue” who have not been vaccinated may be contributing to this increase.
“Most of the 40 to 59-year-olds who are hospitalized are largely unvaccinated,” he said.
“We’re about half what we were tallest [hospitalization] When we had the highest level in December, “he said.” On site, we have seen a sharp increase in cases over the past week. … So that’s the concern – we’re maybe seven to 14 days away from our peak, unfortunately based on the rising case numbers we’ve seen in the community. “
More than 600 virus hospital admissions have been reported in Washington state’s 44 hospitals – most in months, Fox subsidiary KCPQ reported last week.
The state reported 483 hospitalized patients with COVID-like illness on April 25, with a hospitalization rate of 7%. While there is a noticeable decline from the December high of 13%, that is still an increase from February’s 4.2% rate.
Dr. Amy Compton Phillips, CEO of Providence Hospital Systems, said the system’s 26 hospitals in the Pacific Northwest had seen worrying increases in case numbers.
“What we see is a bit scary,” she told ABC partner KOMO. “We had about 500 more people in our hospitals this April than last April, so we’re actually seeing more cases than last April when the whole world was closed.”
Hospitalization in Washington State Covid-19
At a press conference, Dr. Jeff Duchin, Seattle King County’s Health Officer, said there is an increase in people in their twenties hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to those in their seventies.
“We haven’t vaccinated enough younger adults to counter the spread of the variants,” Duchin told NPR.
Erlewine said young, unvaccinated people attending gatherings played a role in the recent wave.
In Washington, the 16-year-olds and older were approved for the vaccine on April 15. So far, only 6% of 16 to 17-year-olds, 22% of 18 to 34-year-olds and 32% of 35-year-olds-to-49-year-olds are fully vaccinated according to state information.
Erlewine urges young people to get the vaccine to protect their community.
“Younger people generally think that they are a little more invisible,” he said. “I think it’s hard for younger people to understand that you’re just not getting immunity, you’re preventing others from getting it from you too. We really need to flip the script a bit and look at it as a bit selfless . We do something for the common good. “
Customers enjoy alfresco dining at Cafe Umbria in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle on May 2, 2021.
Inslee offered upbeat news Tuesday, announcing a “two-week hiatus” to decide whether more districts would be phased out.
“If people keep doing it,” said Inslee, “there is reason to believe that sometime this summer we will have a more substantial reopening.”