UW lab calls for âextra vigilanceâ after discovering COVID-19 variant that could âtake overâ Two labs discovered three cases between Snohomish and Pierce counties SEATTLE - Experts say it was only a matter of time before the more transmissible COVID-19 variant originating in the United Kingdom made its way to the shores of Puget Sound. Two labs discovered three cases between Snohomish and Pierce counties. King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin warned that we’re "living in the shadow of a COVID-19 volcano." The University of Washington Virology Lab first found two cases of the emerging strain by sequencing COVID-19 samples. The cases were both from Snohomish County. Later, a separate lab confirmed an additional case in Pierce County.