COVID-19 Update, November 23, 2020
Good afternoon! The state Department of Health (http://www.doh.wa.gov/) wants to keep you as informed as possible about continuing developments surrounding COVID-19 as well as guidance and resources you can share with employees, clients, or customers.
Lessons from the past
A Crosscut article last week took a look into Seattle’s past and painted a familiar picture for us. It’s October 1918, and Seattle is battling pandemic flu. People are wearing face masks and staying far apart from their loved ones. Businesses are closed.
Sound familiar?
And just like we flattened the curve in April 2020, these precautions worked to control the flu in 1918. In fact, they worked so well that it looked like the epidemic was over, and the city ended the restrictions after five weeks.
So people celebrated Thanksgiving 1918 together, in person, with their loved ones. And then they celebrated their winter holidays in person too.
And the flu came back.
Of all the people who died of the 1918-1919 flu in Seattle, more than half died after the holiday season. After the restrictions were lifted, and after the epidemic had been declared over.
Fortunately for us, we have some advantages our forebears didn’t have:
The lessons of history: We know that holiday gatherings during a pandemic can make many people sick and even die. We know not to gather indoors with people outside our household. We know to always wear a face covering when we’re around people who don’t live with us.
Video conferencing: We are so impatient to see our loved ones in person, but at least we can see their faces and hear their voices virtually. The holidays are not the same when we cannot be together in person, but they can still be joyful. Talk to your family and friends about ways to make these days special and memorable without putting each other at risk. Check out our ideas for virtual celebrations for some inspiration!
Hope: We are hearing great news about developments towards a COVID-19 vaccine. There are potentially two very effective vaccines close to being ready for approval. We are hopeful that there will be a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 available before the end of the year. Even then, it still may be many months before enough doses of vaccine are available for everyone who needs it. But, unlike in 1918, we can see an end in sight.
Numbers. The latest numbers are on our webpage. As of 11:59 p.m. on November 20, 141,260 people in Washington have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 9,765 people had to be hospitalized, and 2,619 people (or 1.9%) have died of the disease. More COVID-19 data can be found on the DOH website and in the state’s risk assessment dashboard.
Practice compassion. Let your loved ones know you are thankful for them and want to keep them safe. There is a light at the end of this long tunnel.
Don’t eat all the leftovers at once,
Lauren
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