COVID: A Mid-Year Update is Generally Good News

Nearly 100 Americans per day are still dying from COVID, the lowest death rate since the pandemic began.

As we pass through the halfway point of 2023, COVID has dropped down to the fourth most common cause of death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The COVID death rate currently ranks below heart disease, cancer, and preventable injury (accidental death). However, despite that favorable news, nearly 100 Americans per day are still dying from COVID according to the latest CDC statistics. That’s the lowest COVID death rate since the pandemic began three years ago.

Continued Evolution: 17 COVID Variants Being Tracked

The CDC COVID tracking page shows 17 variants currently circulating in the United States. The currently dominant variants are in the Omicron family including XBB.1.16, XBB.1.5, and XBB.2.3. One of the most challenging aspects of COVID has been this characteristic — spinning off new and potentially deadly variants including Delta and Omicron. Fortunately, at this time, none of the 17 tracked variants has been taking hold in the way a few of the previous ones did.

Vashon Risk Level: Still at Basic, Despite Recent Uptick

Our region’s COVID hospitalization rate has been trending upward in recent weeks, although it remains well within our lowest Basic Risk rating range. The hospitalization rate has moved up from 1.2 to 1.8 per thousand since early June, about half the rate of 3.5 which marks the top end of our Basic Risk rating. The local risk rating aggregates hospitalization rates across our region of COVID exposure, including the three counties served by Vashon’s ferry routes — King, Kitsap, and Pierce.

The VashonBePrepared risk level tool takes into account the incomplete reporting of home testing results. Since the risk level tool was launched, it has primarily been based on the reliably accurate COVID hospitalization rates. Some other factors are also evaluated, including COVID virus levels in wastewater in our region.

COVID: Basic risk level

The VashonBePrepared risk level tool takes into account incomplete reporting of home testing results. Since the risk level tool was launched, it has primarily been based on the reliably accurate COVID hospitalization rates. Some other factors are also evaluated, including COVID virus levels in wastewater in our region.

At the basic risk level, wear an N95 mask indoors in public if you have been exposed to COVID, are at risk for health or other reasons, or live or spend time with someone at high risk.

Keep vaccinations up to date, including boosters. Maintain good ventilation at home and at work. Avoid those with suspected or confirmed COVID. If exposed to COVID, wear a mask in public and avoid contact with those at high risk for 10 days.

Always home-test if you have symptoms. If you test positive, isolate for at least five days and until you test negative. If you are immunocompromised, discuss additional prevention actions with your healthcare provider.

Gadget Moment: AirNow App for Smoke Updates

Smoke recently made its first appearance of the year in the skies of Vashon, fortunately not a major smoke event but possibly a sign of things to come, especially given the smoke that has lately drifted down to the eastern and plains states from Canadian wildfires.

The AirNow app lets you see the smoke coming and provides info on when it might ease off. The map of Vashon shown above from AirNow (left) has a dot for each of the island’s seven real-time air quality sensors. Click on one of the dots to get a current “speedometer” of air quality at that sensor (top right), and the air quality history over the last several days (bottom right), in addition to advice on reducing the risks of smoke inhalation.

You can view AirNow on your computer here: bit.ly/FireAirNow You can also install the app on your smartphone by downloading it from the Apple or Android stores.