Why Are We Doing This?

Closing schools across the state and shutting down entertainment, athletic and social activities seems like drastic measures in response to a virus. Here's why we're doing this and why your participation is so important. (Disclaimer: I am not a public health official. I am repeating what I have learned in the last month.)

If you'd like an in-depth analysis (and since we're all hunkered-down, you have the time) go to Fred Hutch's page. Lots of graphs and great explanations https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2020/03/covid19---social-distancing--in-seattle-and-beyond.html

Here's what we're trying to do:

The  Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a brand new virus. Because of this, no one has a natural immunity to it. In addition, there is no vaccine. It is also possible to carry the virus without symptoms and infect others. Since we don't currently have enough testing kits, we can't know who is infected and who is not.

This virus is highly contagious, so good hygiene (hand washing) and respiratory etiquette (cough/sneeze into a disposable tissue or your elbow) are our first line of defense. This hasn't been enough in our state and our healthcare capacity is already being strained (hospital beds, ventilators, uninfected healthcare providers, etc.) By closing schools and all of the other interventions that the State has used, we distance ourselves from one another. This distance slows the spread of the disease and reduces the burden on our healthcare system.

If we all work at this, while also taking care of each other (its a balance), the COVID-19 season will be longer, but have less impact overall.

Remember, for 80% of the population, COVID-19 is a mild respiratory infection that will pass. The danger is to the most vulnerable in our community- those with compromised immune systems, respiratory issues, and the elderly. We owe it to our neighbors to slow this bug down.