COVID cases decline but local hospitals remain 'under siege'
EVERETT — COVID-19 cases continue to decline in Snohomish County, although hospitals are still “under siege,” health officer Dr. Chris Spitters reported Tuesday.
Sixty-two hospital beds in the county are still occupied by coronavirus patients, about a one-third drop from the most recent peak a few weeks ago.
But most of the current hospitalization surge is not due to COVID, Spitters said. “COVID was an add-on” to staffing shortages in acute and long-term care.
He said the health care system is “really struggling.”
Health officials are still worried about a winter surge but hope expanded vaccine eligibility and a new therapeutic drug could help stymie the spread. Spitters pointed to upcoming federal reviews of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots and a promising new antiviral pill, as well as the likelihood of young kids receiving Pfizer doses in the coming month. The Food and Drug Administration could soon allow kids as young as 5 to get vaccinated.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/covid-cases-decline-but-local-hospitals-remain-under-siege/
= new reply since forum marked as read
finding fewer positives is a plus, but the cases in the pipeline need to filter through. Hospitilizations and deaths always follow new case numbers by 1-2 weeks.
