Dining during COVID: How to spot signs that a restaurant is doing it right

April 15, 2021.Reading time 11 minutes.

Eating out has changed a lot during the pandemic. Even when indoor dining is permitted, it can be hard to know how risky it really is to sit down and order a waffle or a burrito. We’ve highlighted how a few different restaurants are implementing COVID-19 precautions to keep customers safe.

Are we in a fourth wave? Are the variants storm clouds on the horizon? The latest from our Health Officer on COVID-19 in King County

April 7, 2021.Reading time 13 minutes.

It can be hard to understand where we are with the COVID-19 pandemic recently. On one hand, it’s great that many people are getting vaccinated in our community. That’s bringing so much hope and relief as it helps reduce infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
On the other hand, not everyone is vaccinated yet, and we are hearing about increases in cases and increases in new coronavirus “variants” that are more contagious.

Pregnancy and the COVID-19 Vaccine

March 30, 2021.Reading time 10 minutes.

As of March 17, pregnant people in Washington state are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are pregnant or considering a future pregnancy, you probably have lots of questions around risks and benefits of the vaccine. We’ve provided answers to some of the questions you might have surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Bringing vaccination to communities that need access (and trust)

March 30, 2021.Reading time 12 minutes.

Tsegar Berthe knew that members of Seattle’s Eritrean community would only be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from someone they trusted. And he knew the perfect place to hold a clinic: The Eritrean Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.

Fewer TB cases in King County could be due to a decline in testing, not infections

March 24, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

Chest x-ray of someone with tuberculosis

In a typical year, 1.5 million people die of tuberculosis (TB) globally and 10 million fall ill with it. In Washington, 7% of people with active TB die. TB has been infecting and killing humans for thousands of years, and in fact, it is still one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. Locally, about 100 people are diagnosed with infectious TB every year in King County.

FLASH sex education developed by King County is clinically proven to reduce teen pregnancy in national study

March 16, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

New published research demonstrates what King County families and public health experts have long observed – that the FLASH sexual health curriculum plays a key role in preventing unintended pregnancy among teens. The research also shows FLASH is well-liked by students. The FLASH curriculum is widely-used and was developed by Public Health – Seattle & King County. It has been revised and updated to remain a cutting-edge program.