Post navigation

Prev: (08/03/21) | Next: (08/03/21)

King County’s COVID rate climbs back to ‘substantial transmission’ level — more than 80% of cases unvaccinated

King County’s “community transmission level” has returned to concerning levels (Source: kingcounty.gov)

(Image: The Roanoke)

Driven by the increasing spread of cases among its thousands of unvaccinated residents, King County’s key metric in tracking the battle against COVID-19 has climbed back into terrible territory: “substantial transmission.”

The county’s current rate of 77.7 positive cases per 100,000 represents a sad new milestone in the second summer of pandemic as the spread of the virus is now at levels not seen since early spring and nearly twice the totals seen at the height of last summer’s outbreaks.

But things have changed. In King County as in the increasing case totals across the country, experts say this awful upward curve of the pandemic is doing nearly all of its damage among the unvaccinated.

King County officials say in July’s totals, 81% of cases and 89% of COVID-related hospitalizations were among the not fully vaccinated. Those totals line up with numbers across the state where officials say around 94% of the people hospitalized with COVID were not vaccinated.

Among COVID-related deaths in King County, 91% of the patients were not fully vaccinated.

The growing prevalence of the virus and its variants among the unvaccinated has also contributed to more cases among those who have their shots — but the odds are in their favor.

“The truth is that CoV-19 vaccines are HIGHLY PROTECTIVE against serious infections leading to hospitalization and/or death for the all commonly circulating SARS-COV-2 viruses in the US that cause COVID-19, including the Delta variant,” King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin said.

According to Duchin, the math works out like this. Given the recent county totals, only 1/10th of 1% of those vaccinated became infected with the virus. “4 thousandths of 1%” were hospitalized and “1 one-thousandth of 1%” — 11 people out of 1.45 million — died.

Those so-called breakthrough cases along with the thousands in the county who remain unvaccinated are why this summer’s reopening comes with an asterisk — you still need to wear your mask indoors and show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to enter bars and restaurants. A lot of it is to protect yourself. But most of it is to protect your city and your county.

In King County, 76% of eligible residents have now completed the vaccine series but there are swaths of geography and demographics where uptake remains much lower. Even on Capitol Hill, ZIP code 98102 shows only 70.3% have received both shots. More concerning, the county’s south remains well below area averages and demographic totals show Black and Latino communities remain the most undervaccinated in the county.

Private clinics at pharmacies and grocery stores remain active providers of the vaccine while city and county efforts continue with smaller scale community pop-ups and events. You can use vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov to find nearby opportunities.

But if you’re reading this, chances are pretty good you have already completed your vaccine course and are counted among the vaccinated. Officials must figure out how to reach communities like South King County and individuals like those 30% in 98102 stretching along Broadway and into North Capitol Hill and Eastlake who have so far decided to sit the nation’s vaccination drive out. In the race against the virus, it might be difficult to keep up.

 

PLEASE HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE!
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.

 

 
Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

11 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
NoPrivateIsland
NoPrivateIsland
2 years ago

30% of 98102 hasn’t vaccinated? Are they all on their private islands?

Glenn
Glenn
2 years ago

Disappointed to see that 98102 zip code, the heart of progressive Capitol Hill, has such low vaccination rates. Don’t those residents care about protecting their fellow residents, helping area businesses emerge from this crisis, and getting our city back to normal? I thought getting vaccinated was a progressive value, but I guess not, since so called Republican areas of the Hill and Madison Park have much higher rates. Kind of puts that argument in it’s place.

Tom
Tom
2 years ago
Reply to  Glenn

That’s due to the mistrust of the government among Blacks, Hispanics, and young people.

Why do Republicans here continue to support a party that downplay the virus and is anti-vaccine but yet get vaccinated themselves as soon as possible like Rupert Murdoch? Because they are smart enough to know those are lies but they need the racists in their party to be on their side so they can get their tax cuts.

Glenn
Glenn
2 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Fine Tom, let’s give Blacks and Hispanics a pass. But the same consideration cannot be given to young people living within the 98102 zip code. Any reasons they might have for distrusting government pale in comparison to those of the aforementioned groups. Perhaps Councilmember Sawant, who owns this demographic in that zip code and the Central area, should make some strong statements urging young people to get vaccinated to protect other vulnerable groups. Although she spends plenty of time opining about issues far flung from Seattle’s daily concerns, she has not used her well worn megaphone to direct her supporters towards vaccination.

Caphiller
Caphiller
2 years ago
Reply to  Glenn

I wonder if it’s just a data quality issue. I’d guess around 20-30% of the apartments in 98102 turn over every year, and rental apartments are around 70-80% of the housing stock. Maybe the state is counting as “unvaccinated” people who used to live in 98102 and have moved away, or people who live in 98102 and got their vaccine out of state. No idea, just speculating.

mimi
mimi
2 years ago
Reply to  Caphiller

i can see that, i moved out a few months before getting mine and noticed plenty of people around me were on their way out too. granted that’s a small sample size, but i’ve wondered the same thing as i’ve followed the numbers.

Privilege
Privilege
2 years ago
Reply to  Glenn

There are lots of progressive anti-vaxers out there. Their devotion to justice is only exceeded by their devotion to pseudo-science, and their temple is the wellness section of Whole Foods.

Vic
Vic
2 years ago
Reply to  Glenn

I used to think I was progressive because I thought doing what’s best for everyone made sense. Turns out it disqualifies me from being a progressive.

RWK
RWK
2 years ago

I have no sympathy for those who get sick after choosing to not get vaccinated. Not only do they put themselves at risk, but they are allowing the virus to continue to circulate and to mutate into more dangerous forms, and therefore putting vaccinated people at risk. It is a supremely selfish decision to remain un-vaccinated.

CKathes
CKathes
2 years ago

It’s disheartening to see people I had always thought of as intelligent and rational falling for this antivax nonsense. Just the other day a friend (college-educated) told me she had finally made an appointment to get the shot after months of worrying about possible side effects. Perhaps unfortunately, they told her over the phone which vaccine she was going to get, and now she’s “researching” it online, which I urged her not to do. I’m not sanguine about anyone’s chances in that misinformation minefield.

Cappy
Cappy
2 years ago

“A plague for stupid people.” Anti-Vaxxers get what they deserve. Unfortunately it also comes at the expense of those who can’t get vaccinated for other underlying conditions. Perhaps I can finally imagine a world with far fewer Trump supporters.