Variants

The so-called Kraken variant is the most transmissible yet, but may not cause more severe disease. 

Here’s what we know about XBB.1.5 at this point in the year.

• As of January 21, 2023, XBB.1.5 makes up 49% of all new cases in the US, followed by BQ.1.1 (27%), BQ.1 (13%) and XBB (3%). 
• The severity of disease caused by XBB.1.5 has yet to be determined, but according to the World Health Organization, the strain “does not carry any mutation known to be associated with potential change in severity.”
• Studies are ongoing to assess the effectiveness of the bivalent booster against this variant.

Related: What to know about XBB.1.5, a new and highly transmissible COVID-19 subvariant

Trends

Hospitalizations have stayed somewhat steady after the holidays while cases are trending down. Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for Washington state.

*Shows 7-day rate

** Due to an increase in at home testing, many positive cases are not reported. The official data, therefore, may not capture the full picture. It is important to consider other data such as hospitalizations to help measure the impact of COVID-19 at this point in the pandemic.

Recovery: Finding a Way Forward After Crisis

Wednesday, February 8, 2023   

1 – 2:30pm PST 

A critical step in moving past crises and improving emergency response is listening to the people who were directly involved. What went wrong, what went well, why did it happen the way that it did, and what would we change next time? Conversations about our pandemic experience, personal and work-related, can help us identify lessons learned, collectively process the trauma of the last three years, and inform better emergency operations for the future. 

On Wednesday, February 8th, Drs. Kira Mauseth and Tona McGuire will introduce us to this topic in an event called Recovery: Finding a Way Forward After Crisis. During this session, they will discuss the science of recovery and highlight the lasting benefits that these types of conversations can have for schools, educators, and staff.  In the context of the pandemic, this means actively listening to those who were “in the trenches”, giving them the space to tell their stories, and drawing out best practices so the community is better prepared for future crises.  During the Learning Network event, participants will learn how to facilitate these sessions with their schools with a focus on processing personal experiences and moving forward. 

In the weeks following the event, attendees will be invited to join smaller discussions with Drs. Mauseth and McGuire to help them organize and facilitate these sessions with their teams based on their own unique circumstances.

Watch Drs. Mauseth and McGuire in action during our last Learning Network event, Living in Times of Response and Recovery: Communication and Engagement Strategies for Ongoing Pandemic Response.

Expired COVID-19 tests. When are they okay to use?

The expiration date on the box may not always be accurate. Here are answers to your questions about using expired rapid antigen tests. 

Download the full FAQ sheet from DOH (including versions in 36 different languages!).

Can I use an expired COVID-19 test? Yes. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released an official approval for the use of expired tests so long as the test passes the built-in quality control. The quality control process for many rapid antigen tests is simply making sure the line next to the “C” printed on the test cartridge shows up when the specimen is added. If the quality control process fails, you should discard the entire box of tests.

Some COVID-19 tests receive shelf-life extensions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can look up the list of tests with extended shelf lives to see which have an updated expiration date. But even if the updated expiration date is in the past, so long as the test passes the built-in quality control, it is good to use.

Note that this applies to all rapid antigen tests available through Learn to Return including BD Veritor Plus Triplex (SARS-CoV2, Flu A+B), the test that detects both COVID-19 and Flu A & B with a single sample.

How does a test receive an extended shelf life? Manufacturers of COVID-19 tests are required to do studies that look at how long a test can be used. The FDA tracks this data to approve extended expiration dates. Shelf-life extensions for COVID-19 tests are normal as more data comes in about how long these tests last.

Questions about using expired tests? Reach out to us at schools@healthcommonsproject.org.

Flu activity is down in Washington. Here are the latest numbers.

After peaking early in the season, flu activity has been slowing down in Washington over the past several weeks. Here are the most recent trends:

• According to the CDC, flu-like illness activity in Washington state is currently MINIMAL. 
• So far there have been a total of 168 lab-confirmed flu deaths (4 children, 164 adults) this season in Washington state (an increase of 75  deaths since late-December). In comparison, there were a total of 345 flu deaths over the past 8 years combined at this point in the season.
• Outpatient visits for influenza like illness (ILI) in Washington state have declined steadily over the past month, down to 819 total visits in the week ending January 14th, a 58%% decrease over the past four weeks.

Flu season isn’t over yet. Be prepared by adding BD Triplex to your school testing strategy.

BD Veritor Plus Triplex (SARS-CoV2, Flu A+B) or “BD Triplex” is a point-of-care rapid antigen test that can help stop the spread of respiratory illnesses by detecting both COVID-19 and Flu A & B with a single sample.

DOH has already approved over 38,000 BD Triplex tests for over 110 Washington school districts and private schools who ordered through the Learn to Return program. 

Here’s how you can get started with BD Triplex:

• Order your tests now through the DOH ordering portal.
• Use the BD Triplex toolkit as a guide for introducing this test to your school community.
• Use these customizable email templates to share information about BD Triplex with families (available in 36 languages!).

Reach out to your L2R Program Manager for help onboarding this new test.

Know your COVID-19 community levels

All Washington State counties have a low COVID-19 community level.

• Masking is recommended for high-risk individuals when your community level is medium or high.
• Masking and screening testing are recommended best practices when your community level is high.

How are community levels determined? 

The CDC uses data on weekly case rates, hospitalizations, and hospital capacity (% of inpatient beds used by COVID-19 patients) to determine COVID-19 community levels for each county. Learn more about how the CDC calculates community levels here.

Swab & Jab Learning Club!  

This week in the Science Club, we’re going to talk about how the COVID-19 virus spreads!

Viruses will always be a part of our lives, but if we know how to keep ourselves and our communities safe – we can prevent the spread of new viruses.

COVID-19 NEWS