EAST WENATCHEE — COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations remain high but have leveled off in North Central Washington. Local health officials say they expect numbers to start dropping soon.
The 14-day case rate in Chelan and Douglas counties as of Friday was 444.05 per 100,000 people, according to Chelan-Douglas Health District data. The rate was 450.5 per 100,000 as of July 14, according to the state Department of Health, up from a low in early April of 53.5 per 100,000.
“(Case rates) in Chelan and Douglas counties have plateaued but are starting to see a decline,” said Dr. James Wallace, health district interim officer, during Monday’s Chelan-Douglas Health District Board of Health meeting. “And we certainly hope the trend continues.”
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Chelan and Douglas counties hit a seven-day hospitalization rate of 14.6 per 100,000 as of Aug. 4, higher than the state average, according to the state Department of Health. Eighteen COVID-19 patients were hospitalized across Chelan and Douglas counties during the week of Aug. 4.
Wallace said hospitalizations have impacted some of the area’s critical access hospitals, making it more difficult to transfer patients to the emergency room or for inpatient services at Central Washington Hospital or to other hospitals with higher levels of care.
“But we’re not seeing the health care system as impacted as it was earlier in omicron, when we had many more cases,” he said.
Wallace said the health district continues to work closely with its partners at Central Washington Hospital, and that all signs point to COVID-19 cases on a downward trend.
The health district has also begun preparations in the event that monkeypox cases begin appearing in Chelan and Douglas counties.
Monkeypox is a viral infection like smallpox, but not as severe or as infectious. It causes an illness that includes rashes and other symptoms and can be spread person-to-person with close, skin-to-skin contact, according to the state Department of Health.
The federal government declared the outbreak of monkeypox cases across the nation a public health emergency, but the state Department of Health has not — as of Tuesday.
As of Monday, 282 cases of monkeypox have been reported to the state Department of Health. No cases have been reported in Chelan, Douglas, Grant or Okanogan counties.
Testing is becoming available through more labs, Wallace said. A vaccine and treatment in the event of exposure is also available but is in “very short supply,” he said.
“While anybody can contract monkeypox, we’re being very cautious in communications and making sure that folks that meet the highest risk populations are aware and understand how they can access testing, vaccines and treatment,” Wallace said.
Anyone who is sexually active is at risk, according to the state Department of Health. Risk increases with more sexual partners.
Wallace made it clear that monkeypox does not discriminate between people’s sexual orientations as anyone can get monkeypox.
“It’s spread by direct contact with lesions, prolonged close contact and, to a lesser degree, droplet spread,” he said.
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