Washington Coronavirus: 39 Cases In King, Snohomish; 10 Deaths

SEATTLE, WA — At least 10 people have died from complications linked to the new coronavirus in Washington, and the number of confirmed COVID-19 illnesses in two counties has grown to 39, health officials said Wednesday.

COVID-19 Infections By County
King County: 31 infections, 9 deaths
Snohomish County: 8 infections, 1 death

According to public health officials, King County's 10 latest cases include nine people associated with the Life Care Center, a Kirkland senior facility where several residents have fallen ill in recent weeks. A majority of the deaths reported have been among residents from the nursing home.

Seattle and King County Public Health said a team of two epidemiologists were sent to assist Life Care and a federal disaster team was scheduled to arrive Thursday.

Related: Amid Coronavirus, King County Recommends Curbing Group Activities

The latest numbers arrive one day after Vice President Mike Pence announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would lift restrictions on coronavirus testing, allowing for a much larger group of people exhibiting symptoms to be directly tested for COVID-19.

Under the new guidelines, healthcare providers can order a test for any patient based on their risk facors and respiratory symptoms.

Gov. Jay Inslee told KIRO Radio he expected the state would be able to increase the number of tests it processes daily by tenfold, as the University of Washington will soon be able to handle more than 1,000 tests per day. Since the weekend, a public health lab in Shoreline has processed up to 200 samples daily.

UW Medicine released a statement Wednesday:

"Over the past couple of weeks, UW Medicine’s new test underwent development. It also had to undergo validation to measure its accuracy in detecting SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples, while at the same time reducing false positives in unaffected samples or inconclusive results.
The UW Medicine Virology Lab went live with testing actual patient samples on Tuesday, March 3, and anticipates ramping up to be able to test 1,000 to 1,500 samples/day by the end of the week."

Pence, who is at the helm of the U.S. coronavirus response, tweeted that he would travel to Washington state Thursday to meet with Inslee in Olympia.

NBC News reports that congressional leaders reached a bipartisan, $8 billion deal to provide emergency funding to combat the spread of the new coronavirus across the country. A final vote was expected later Wednesday, and congressional leaders said the measure was expected to pass both chambers.

In Washington state, lawmakers are poised to authorize a $100 million request from Secretary of Health John Wiesman to fund ongoing mitigation efforts across the state. The News Tribune reports the funding plan, which passed the state House unanimously, will also boost payments and aid for nursing facilities.

King County Novel Coronavirus Call Center:

• If you are in King County and believe you were exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, or if you’re a health care provider with questions about the virus, contact the King County Novel Coronavirus Call Center at 206-477-3977.
• The call center will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT.
• For general concerns and questions about COVID-19, call the Washington State Novel Coronavirus Call Center at 800-525-0127.

Symptoms of the new coronavirus are similar to flu or colds and may include:

• Runny nose
• Headache
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Fever
• A general feeling of being unwell

According to the Department of Health, people should take these steps to reduce their risk of getting and spreading any viral respiratory infections:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
• Stay at home and away from others if you are feeling ill.

Monitor the latest information on COVID-19 in Washington and across the United States:

• Public Health Seattle-King County
• Snohomish County Health District
• Washington State Department of Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention