Official insights from Public Health – Seattle & King County staff
Public Health is reporting the first pediatric flu death of this flu season. It’s an important time to get the seasonal flu vaccine and updated COVID-19 booster and help prevent further spread of illness by staying home when sick.
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We’ve been hearing talk of a potential triple threat of viruses or a “tri-demic” this winter – a rise in multiple types of respiratory viruses. We sat down with Dr. Eric Chow, who leads our Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Section, to learn more about what’s happening and what we can do to stay safer.
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As we get ready for our third winter holiday season with COVID-19, we’re tired of hearing about the pandemic. We would much rather focus on the truly important things in our lives—gathering with loved ones, taking time to relax and recharge, and thinking about all the things we want to make happen in the new year.
But getting sick can put a stop to those plans, and gathering indoors during the cold winter months helps COVID-19—along with RSV and flu—to spread more easily. COVID-19 continues to spread and evolve across King County and in the world around us. And if you or a loved one is over age 50, the chance of having severe disease and needing to visit the hospital is much higher.
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Even small amounts of snow can wreak havoc on our ability to get around and that can have implications for your health, especially if you have medical conditions that require regular healthcare services and supplies.
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There has been a nearly 5-fold increase in syphilis in cisgender women since 2015 (cisgender means one’s gender identity corresponds to one’s sex assigned at birth). All sexually active women 45 and under in Washington state who have not had a syphilis test since January 2021 are being advised to test for syphilis.
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A re-designed fatal overdose dashboard shows the tragic toll of drug overdose in King County. Read about the steps to take to prevent fatal overdose.
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