Pierce County COVID-19 numbers saw an uptick in August. Here’s where they stand now
In recent weeks, Pierce County has seen a slight uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations, emergency department visits and deaths. While the numbers remain low, health officials say they’re still a good reminder to stay diligent with prevention efforts.
According to data from the Washington State Department of Health, Pierce County COVID-19 numbers began to rise in August. Local health care networks have seen a similar shift.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which operates St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, has seen a recent increase in COVID-19 cases across the network, with 60 patients admitted with the virus as of this week.
MultiCare, which operates MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, tracks COVID-19 cases by admissions per 100,000 people over a seven-day period. The network saw fewer than five COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 people in the South Sound in July and August. Just last week, that number increased to just slightly over five, media relations manager Scott Thompson said in an email.
For comparison, MultiCare reported 40 cases per 100,000 people in January 2022. In the past week, hospitalizations and emergency department visits have also seen a slight dip, according to state health department data.
“[The numbers] are very low, and we’re hoping to keep them low,” said Naomi Wilson, community assessment director for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. “And what we know is that in order to keep them low, we need to make sure that people have access to a test if they have symptoms.”
Wilson said it’s too soon to see a pattern or trend, but that people should continue to follow guidance for preventing the spread of COVID-19. In addition to testing when symptoms arise, they should practice regular handwashing, stay home when sick and wear a mask if they have to go out while feeling ill.
Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wilson said the updated COVID-19 vaccine is now available to those older than 6 months.
“For those who are particularly at high risk, especially the immunocompromised, that’s going to be really important for the people around them to make sure that we are diligent about those prevention efforts,” she said.
Following the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Washington State Department of Health shifted from reporting individual cases to focusing on hospitalizations, emergency department visits and deaths. Because more people are taking at-home tests and fewer results are being reported, case counts are less reliable than they used to be.
Wilson said that limitation in the data is another reason to continue taking precautions.
“Having at-home tests and making sure that those are readily available means that we don’t really know what the level of transmission is in our community,” she said. “Part of the trade-off with that is making sure that everyone really understands how they can be part of the community and be responsible, and make sure that they’re keeping everyone in the community safe.”
The state health department has made other changes to its reporting practices since the end of the Public Health Emergency: What used to be a designated COVID-19 dashboard has been replaced by a respiratory illness dashboard that provides statistics on COVID-19, RSV and influenza.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has begun a similar shift. On Sept. 26, regional health care organizations adopted new guidelines for required masking in anticipation of the 2023-24 respiratory illness season. Participating organizations will reinstate masking in patient care areas if COVID-19, RSV or influenza reaches or exceeds designated transmission alert thresholds, or if CDC COVID-19 hospital admission levels reach or exceed seven per 100,000 people over a seven-day period.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department intends to support healthcare providers in this decision by reporting regional data on respiratory illnesses, Wilson said.
“This is part of the public service that Public Health does, which is to provide those numbers,” she said.
While many COVID-19-related precautions can protect against the spread of other respiratory illnesses, Wilson said people can also protect themselves and others this respiratory illness season by getting an annual flu shot. Those who are 60 and older or immunocompromised can also get the RSV vaccine.
More information about respiratory illness season can be found on the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s website. Readers can visit the Washington State Department of Health’s website for additional data on respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.
