Risk of getting COVID-19 today ‘higher than it’s ever been’

King, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Pierce counties are all reporting record high coronavirus cases Friday.

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Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said Friday that more than 300 cases per day last week were being recorded in King County.

“That’s four-fold higher than late September, and over 100 cases per day more than the initial outbreak in the spring,” he said.

“Along with the increase in testing, the countywide positivity rate has also increased from approximately 2% in September to about 3.5% recently,” Duchin added, which indicates that the increase in cases is not just a result of more tests being conducted.

The highest positivity rates are seen in south and southeast King County, Duchin explained, but the increases are showing up among all age groups, with the highest rates now in young and working age adults between 20-60 years old.

In Kitsap County, the rate of new cases in children is high, with the median age of positive tests at 12 years old.

“Cases continue to accelerate in the wrong direction, and it’s best to hit the brakes before we crash and not after,” Duchin said, adding that the “risk of acquiring COVID-19 today is higher now than it has ever been.”

Pierce County also reported a record high for its average cases in the past two weeks Friday, and Snohomish County is reporting two days in a row of record high, single-day numbers. All the counties expect their numbers to keep rising.

Statewide, all-time highs for new cases have been set twice this week with nearly 1,700 cases reported in 24 hours Friday. That number broke the record set Wednesday by more than 200 cases.

“Too many of us are doing too much with too little consideration of the consequences of our actions on others,” Duchin said.

Dr. Duchin emphasized that we know what works to reduce the spread of COVID, and that our actions can determine the course of the outbreak. He says individuals and communities should change their behaviors now before the state’s hospitals are overrun, or before the virus spreads to more at-risk populations, which could lead to an increase in deaths.

“We can choose our path forward or we can let the virus choose it for us,” he said.

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The general advice from health experts remains the same: limit the number of contacts and activities outside your home; wear a mask even when you are able to keep your distance, and in your home if you have guests; avoid crowded settings; and pay attention to ventilation indoors. Duchin added that hand washing and frequent cleaning remain important measures to reduce the spread of illness as well.

The KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this report.