Washington State Uncertain if New COVID Strain Has Arrived Public officials are nervous about the presence of new strains of the coronavirus and the potential to have yet another spike in case contractions and deaths. But without the proper detection tools, the state can’t do much. Sandi Doughton, The Seattle Times | January 15, 2021 | Analysis (TNS) — As mutated versions of the novel coronavirus pop up across the U.S. — including at least one that is more contagious — researchers in Washington state say surveillance in the state is falling short of what's needed to quickly spot new variants. While Washington is doing better than many other states, only about 1.7 percent of viral genomes has been sequenced since the start of the pandemic. In December — when the new variants began to explode across the U.K. and other countries — more than 70,000 people in Washington tested positive, and fewer than half a percent of those cases have been sequenced so far.