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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As I have mentioned in previous updates, growing COVID-19 concerns and closures have led to canceled blood drives and 2,500 lost donations, putting our local blood supply in danger of collapse. While inventories are now holding steady as faithful donors and first-time donors respond to the urgent need, donations will continue to drop in the days and weeks to come.
New donors are needed now to step-up and save a life, and for donors to make this a generous and consistent habit. All types of blood are needed for cancer treatment, trauma cases, and many other situations. The process only takes an hour and actual donation time is about 10 minutes.
Donating blood is a safe activity, and there is no risk of contracting coronavirus from the blood donation process.
Bloodworks Northwest has more information on coronavirus, who is eligible to donate blood, and donation locations at www.bloodworksnw.org/coronavirus. You can make an appointment for donating at a center or drive to minimize wait time.
As a reminder, the county has many COVID-19 resources for the general public, the business community, workplaces and employers, travelers, healthcare professionals and links to information at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Washington state Department of Health.
Please visit the Public Health website and find additional information available on the Public Health Insider.
Also, if you have a moment, I encourage you to read this article that appeared in today’s Washington Post that show through animation how viruses like COVID-19 spread so quickly and what we can do to “flatten the curve”: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/?wpmk=1&wpisrc=al_trending_now__alert-national&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere_trending_now
Latest info from Public Health
Public Health – Seattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 3/14/20
- 420 confirmed cases (up 32 from yesterday)
- 37 confirmed deaths (up 2 from yesterday)
Deaths being reported today include:
- A woman in her 60s, a Life Care Center resident, who died at Franciscan Medical on 3/14
- A woman in her 70s, a Life Care Center resident, who died on 3/12
Of the 37 deaths reported in King County, 29 are associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland.
Working from home
During stressful times, it’s important to remember to laugh. I certainly laughed when I saw this cartoon by David Horsey in the Seattle Times about working from home with kids. There are perks to working from home but it certainly can be a challenge to figure out how to balance working from home with kids in the house: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/mom-is-the-coronavirus-over-yet/
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my update. You can expect ones to continue being sent out on a daily basis. Feel free too forward them to others who can subscribe by clicking here. And please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns and, most importantly, be well.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
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