[Update: In the 24 hours since this story was published, the death rate in Washington for COVID infections has dropped another 5.6%.]
The number of people currently hospitalized for COVID in Washington is higher than its has ever been, and so is the number of people on ventilators. But the number of people dying from COVID is now so relatively small that the overall death rate has dropped dramatically.
As of 11/24/20, the last Department of Health reporting date, 886 people with a suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID infection are hospitalized. 102 people are on ventilators. The number of people who have died from COVID from the start stands at 2,704. But in recent weeks so few additional deaths have been attributed to COVID as a cause of death (not the cause, which is very rarely the case) that the overall mortality rate for COVID infections has dropped to 1.8%.
That rate would be terrifying were it the daily, marginal rate, meaning that for every 100 new infections, almost two people would die. But that is the average for all infections since data started being collected. The mortality rate was over 5% earlier this year. To drop so sharply in the space of several months means that the absence of large number of new COVID deaths has pulled the overall average down by more than 80%.
That greater survival rate is no doubt due to the improved skill and knowledge of medical professionals in treating COVID, as well as the possibility that the virus may have weakened. It may also be due to the fact vulnerable populations are doing a better job of protecting themselves, and that state government ended the practice of sending elderly COVID patients to nursing homes to free up hospital capacity–which was never in danger of being overwhelmed, as we have previously reported.
For months at the start of the crisis, Governor Inslee returned elderly COVID patients to nursing homes where the virus raged. Those facilities accounted for large concentrations of COVID deaths. 90% of all COVID deaths are among those above age 60. These people suffered from pre-existing serious health conditions. His administration offered monetary incentives to nursing home facilities to take back COVID patients and he rolled back regulations that made it possible for nursing homes to take in sick patients, even as he was publicly making contrary statements about how the virus should be fought.
Reporters with The Post Millenial uncovered public records documenting Inslee’s actions that contributed to early COVID spread and deaths among elderly patients. Their report may be read and the records viewed at this link: Washington Governor Inslee revealed to have sent COVID patients into nursing homes | The Post Millennial
Jefferson County has had one COVID death, a ninety-year old woman who was at the time already in hospice. Of the county’s reported 152 confirmed infections, 15 of those people have been hospitalized, some as little as an overnight stay for observation.
Related: CDC Release COVID Survival Rates and It’s Very Good News, PTFP 9/24/20
Jim Scarantino was the editor and founder of Port Townsend Free Press. He is happy in his new role as just a contributor writing on topics of concern to him. He spent the first 25 years of his professional life as a trial attorney, then launched an online investigative news website that broke several national stories. He is also the author of three crime novels. He resides in Jefferson County. See our “About” page for more information.
The fear factor continues, however, with people believing the main stream media. The “experts” tell us that the rate will increase with a new surge and of course they don’t want to be wrong so magically the number go up. Getting really tired of this! Keep seeking the truth!!
I have, from the start, thought that the numbers for Jefferson County have been wrong. If you look at the Leader every week, you’ll probably find there are three to four people who have died. Nothing is ever said about COVID. A lot of them are up in their 80’s and 90’s and die of or other unrelated causes. One national study, I read, was the death rates between Type O and Type A. What about the other types? I’d guess they are doing pretty good. Personally, I am Type B\Negative. I’m 77 years old. I have a heart that is functioning at 1/4 the amount of blood pumped and Aphib. I only wear a mask when it is mandatory and go where I want. Also, I’ve had three sets of signs that might be COVID. The first time I had chills, and elevated temp. It lasted about two hours. A week later I had the same thing that lasted one hour and a half. The third week nothing. The fourth week one hour with the same set of symptoms. Nothing since then. I’ve tested Negative several times at the Drs. office and Hospital Admissions. My only remedy I have always used was one my Father gave me as a kid. In a cup, add some whiskey, lemon juice and honey. Fill the rest of the cup with hot water and a cinnamon stick. Drink it as fast as you can. That was followed by Vicks on my nostrils, neck and back at the level of the lungs. I was then put to bed with extra blankets to make me sweat it out. I’m not Recommending this for everyone, but it always works for me. Unless there’s some other factor that I don’t know about, I probably should be dead or at least sick by now. Maybe I will be next week or maybe I’ll die in something totally unrelated. Who knows? I don’t, and I’m not going to sit around worrying. I have a lot of other regular problems that are more important. I’m going to live my life the way I wish, as long as possible. If I get COVID, it better be ready for a fight, because I’m not going down easily. I’ve made my promise to stay alive as long as possible, no matter what the pain and suffering. My promise will be kept.
Thank you, Jim, for an informative article on Covid in Jefferson County. Between incompetent health officials and incompetent or corrupt media, information is hard to come by. The Daily News us awful. It is rare that they mention hospitalizations (the best key metric). Instead they publish things like a bar chart of ages of positive tests–meaningless. And what’s with a hospice patient being counted. Give me a break. I would be very curious to know the ages and comorbities of those that go to the hospital–for Covid. And how long they stay. And how sick they are. Etc, etc. This is the information that I need to determine how scared I should be . . . or not be. And perhaps coincidentally it is the information our media and government won’t give us. Why? Surely they must know . . . .
I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t have to perform an autopsy of the person. This particularly if there aren’t any blood relatives involved. It would be interesting to know how they come up with these numbers. The media focuses on people who test positive per capita, not how many deaths per capita. Also, the numbers are broken down by state, not county, not city. You have to realize that the main money comes from advertising. You don’t want tick off the biggest advertisers. Small local newspapers are more vunderval. The bigger the newspaper, the more pressure by the advertiser, Like every thing in the world, money talks. Just my thoughts.