20 April 2023
Vol 5, Issue 8
What’s next for school-based testing? Looking forward to the 2023-24 school year.
First time seeing this newsletter? You can subscribe here.
The Learning Network Courses. With Drs. Kira and Tona.
Stories you might have missed over spring break. Spotlight and news.
COVID-19 in Washington. Plus a new variant to watch.
COVID-19 News. What you need to know.
What’s next for school-based testing? Looking forward to the 2023-24 school year.Â
Join us on Thursday, May 18th from 10-11am for the last statewide Learning Network event!Â
What will COVID-19 management look like as we transition to a period of pandemic recovery?
What resources can schools count on next fall to support school-based testing?
Get answers to these questions and more directly from DOH and OSPI leaders during the Learning Network event on May 18th.
Our guest speakers will discuss:
- Resources available next year to support school-based COVID-19 testing
- DOH guidance updates and how these will be communicated
- The development of a new respiratory disease dashboard
- A centralized website that will support ongoing communication between DOH and schools and maintain resources Â
The event will feature a moderated Q&A so participants can ask their questions about the future of COVID-19 management. Participants will get key takeaways about DOH support that will help them get ahead of planning for next school year.
Speakers include:Â
- Dr. Tao Kwan Gett, Chief Science Officer, Washington State Department of Health
- Lacy Fehrenbach, Chief of Prevention, Washington State Department of Health
- Michaela Miller, Deputy Superintendent, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Kimberly Sanchez, Education Engagement Director, Washington State Department of Health
- Michelle Chung, School Testing Supervisor, Washington State Department of Health
- Samantha Rice, K-12 School Outbreak and Guidance Epidemiologist, Washington State Department of Health
- Lillian Manahan, Surveillance Epidemiologist, Washington State Department of Health
Additional speakers and topics may be added as we get closer to the event. Stay tuned for more information!
The Learning Network Courses. With Drs. Kira and Tona.
Dr. Kira Mauseth & Dr. Tona McGuire
Each course is a deep dive into a different component of behavioral health with a focus on communication, healing, and building resilience.Â
Join us for in-depth discussions! Click below to register.Â
- Group process and boundaries (May 9 / 10am-11am)
- Creating Connection in Groups (May 17 / 2pm-3pm)
- Personal Resilience and Avoiding Burn Out (June 1 / 10am-11am)
Stories you might have missed over spring break. Spotlight and news.
Spotlight on Moses Lake School District
Nurse Liz Pray pushed for school-based testing to expand access for those in the community who needed it most.
The mask order for healthcare settings has ended
Although this emergency countermeasure has ended, other requirements related to infection prevention and worker protection will remain in place.
COVID-19 in Washington. Plus a new variant to watch.
COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases are decreasing statewide, but health authorities are keeping a close eye on a new variant, XBB.1.16.Â
Dubbed Arcturus, the new variant was first identified in India and has been detected in 29 other countries. Like other omicron subvariants, XBB.1.16 is highly transmissible, but severity is yet unknown.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Arcturus made up 7.2% of all cases in the US for the week ending April 15, 2023. The so-called Kraken variant, or XBB.1.5, is still the predominant strain in the US, making up 78% of all new cases.Â
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified XBB.1.16 as a variant under monitoring. This is less serious than a variant of interest, which is less serious than a variant of concern, like delta or omicron, but the classification can quickly change as we learn more about XBB.1.16.
We will monitor this subvariant and provide more updates in the May newsletters.Â
Further reading on Arcturus: New COVID-19 Strain ‘Arcturus’: What to Know
As of April 1, 2023
| Daily avg. | Per 100,000* | 14-day change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitalized | 46 | 4.2 | -6% |
| Cases | 401 | 36.7 | -22% |
| Test positivity** | 7.2% | - | -16% |
Compared to last year (April 1, 2022)
| Daily avg. | Per 100,000* | 14-day change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitalized | 24 | 2.2 | -14% |
| Cases | 653 | 59.7 | +46% |
| Test positivity** | 3.5% | - | +52% |
*Shows 7-day rate
** Due to an increase in at-home testing, many positive cases may not be reported, distorting the data. Test positivity in Washington has been increasing steadily through the winter, from 6% in mid-November to 11.6% by the end of December.Â
Know your COVID-19 community levels. Are you low, medium, or high?
Recommendations:
- Masking and screening testing are recommended best practices when your community level is high.
- Masking is recommended for high-risk individuals when your community level is medium or high.
- View the map here.
COVID-19 NEWS
You’re less likely to get long COVID after a second infection than a first
NPR, 14 April 2023. Among the adults in the survey, 4% reported long COVID symptoms persisting at least four weeks after their first infection, the survey found. In contrast, just 2.4% of those who hadn’t developed lingering health problems after their first infection reported ongoing symptoms after their second case.
Students are chronically absent across the country. COVID seems to have made it worse
ABC News, 12 April 2023. From kindergarteners to high school seniors, chronic absenteeism persists around the country, fueled in part by disruptions from the spread of COVID-19 in the last three years, government data shows. In some places, repeated absences are getting much worse.
‘Arcturus,’ a COVID variant sweeping India, is now in the U.S., the CDC says—and it’s coming in hot. What it means for the future of the pandemic
Fortune, 14 April 2023.  In the U.S., levels of XBB.1.16 are highest in the south central region, where they are projected to represent more than 20% of cases, and on the West Coast, where they hover around 10%, according to the CDC. They’re lowest in the Northeast, where they’re estimated to fuel less than 2.5% of cases.