Coronavirus update: Doctor testifies to Congress, 'it's going to get worse,' and other COVID-19 headlines

By Anne McGregor

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Coronavirus update: Doctor testifies to Congress, 'it's going to get worse,' and other COVID-19 headlines

Photo by Andrew Propp for Fogarty/NIH

Dr. Anthony Fauci

Fasten your seatbelts. It's gonna be a bumpy ride
Noting a 10-fold increase in COVID-19 illness since last week, and that the illness is 10 times deadlier than the seasonal flu, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Wednesday that things are going to get worse before they get better. (Rolling Stone)

Are we there yet?
On Monday, in its most recent update on the novel coronavirus, the Spokane Regional Health District reported two people were under investigation for the virus. No word yet on the investigation. Also, there's apparently no real way to know going forward how many people are under investigation for the virus in the community. In a note on the SHRD website, Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz says, “With the loosening of CDC restrictions on COVID-19 testing, providers are now able to use their own judgement to request testing for people who have symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, and we will no longer be informed of every case under investigation.” The district will be notified of all positive results. (srhd.org)

Meanwhile...
Seattle Public Schools announced this afternoon that the state's largest district will be closing for a minimum of 14 days. An announcement on the district's website states, "This necessary action is an effective way to disrupt widespread infection." The closure comes just one day after the district had its first staff member confirmed to have COVID-19. (seattleschools.org)