KXLY
December 27, 2020 7:27 PM Connor Sarles
SPOKANE, Wash. Over 25,000 people have contracted COVID-19 in Spokane County since the pandemic began, and while Washington avoided the expected Thanksgiving surge, health officials are once again holding their breath for the data after the holidays.
The Spokane Regional Health District is still tabulating the COVID data for Sunday, with 15 confirmed cases and 100 still awaiting confirmation. 81 people were diagnosed with the virus on Saturday.
This marks another lull between holidays the county last saw this heading out of Thanksgiving, which became a hotbed for COVID transmission in many places, although Washington was spared.
Currently, 140 patients are hospitalized from COVID and 353 people have died.
KXLY
December 23, 2020 3:15 PM Connor Sarles
- Question: What do we know about the similarities and differences between the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines?
- Expert: Paul Spearman, MD, Professor and Director of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
- Date: Nov. 17
“The Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are both mRNA vaccines and both cause the body to make a viral protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to invade human cells. They both utilize a delivery and preservation technique to encase the RNA in the vaccine with lipid (fat) molecules, and these are likely somewhat different between the two vaccines. Both vaccines showed promise in creating an immune response in earlier trials and now both protect at a greater than 90% level in interim analyses. One difference that may become important is the temperature of storage, with the Pfizer product requiring -70 degree Celsius storage and Moderna reporting stability at -20 degrees Celsius. M
Spokane interim health officer is cautiously optimistic about COVID-19 data
Though Dr. Frank Velasquez said there is a light at the end of the tunnel, he cautioned against spending the holidays with people outside of your household. Author: Taylor Viydo Updated: 7:48 PM PST December 23, 2020
SPOKANE, Wash. Ahead of Christmas and New Year s Eve, the Spokane Regional Health District is once again urging residents to celebrate the holidays with members of their own household.
Health leaders recommend wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing for those who do plan to have company. We knew that holidays were going to be a little different, said Dr. Frank Velazquez, SRHD s interim health officer. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Spokane records 381 new positive cases of COVID-19, three additional deaths khq.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from khq.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
After former Spokane Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz was controversially fired in early November, he transitioned into a role with the Washington Department of Health (DOH). On Wednesday, KHQ learned new information regarding his new position and responsibilities.
Dr. Lutz was hired as a Medical Advisor for Washington s COVID-19 Response, a brand new position created by the DOH to help tackle the pandemic. Lutz is working directly under the Deputy Secretary for the state s COVID response, Lacy Fehrenbach.
His new job boasts the high responsibility of consulting state officials at nearly every phase of the state s COVID plan.
Meanwhile, Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) hired Dr. Frank Velazquez as interim health officer after Lutz firing. SRHD Administrative Officer Amelia Clarke remains under state investigation as to whether she improperly fired Dr. Lutz before the SRHD board could vote on the move.