The covid-19 ward at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett is shown in May 2020, a few months after treating the first known covid patient in the U.S. (Andy Bronson / Herald file)

The covid-19 ward at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett is shown in May 2020, a few months after treating the first known covid patient in the U.S. (Andy Bronson / Herald file)

Editorial: Even after 1 million deaths, covid fight isn’t over

Most of us have put away masks, but case counts are rising again and vigilance is still paramount.

By The Herald Editorial Board

Monday, the United States hit its expected — and likely underestimated — milestone of 1 million deaths caused by the covid-19 virus since the disease’s first official diagnosis was reported for a Snohomish County man who was treated in late January 2020 at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.

The man, then 35, was treated for about two weeks and sent home.

So many more were not as fortunate.

Of those 1 million deaths, more than 12,800 deaths have been recorded among Washington state residents during the course of the pandemic. The death toll in Snohomish County, as of May 13, was listed as 1,146. And very few individuals can claim to have known no one who has died because of covid or whose family and friends have not felt serious impacts from the pandemic.

And yet, covid’s various counts — case rates, hospitalizations and deaths — continue to tick away. Even as the worst of the initial omicron variant’s wave has ebbed, a new sub-variant of omicron is showing signs of resurgence. While far from the worst of omicron’s initial surge in mid-January, covid case rates are increasing in several regions of the U.S., including Washington and Oregon, with 90,000 new cases reported each day nationwide, a 60 percent increase in the last two weeks, The New York Times reported Monday.

Though more slowly than new cases, hospitalizations also are increasing. According to reports from the Snohomish Health District, 34 patients were reported hospitalized for covid in county hospitals as of May 13, although none was on a ventilator, a significant increase from the 14 hospitalized a month earlier.

With few exceptions, most of us have pocketed our face masks, if we even carry them. And rates for vaccinations and boosters are edging up only at glacial rates. Statewide, nearly 82 percent of those ages 5 and older have received at least one dose, according to the state Department of Health, and about 74 percent are fully vaccinated. But vaccination rates for children nationwide continue to lag; only 4 in 10 parents of children ages 5 to 11 report their children as having been vaccinated, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation coronavirus tracker, with nearly a third of parents — 32 percent — adamant that they won’t seek a vaccine for their child.

That hesitancy — even outright rejection of available covid vaccines — brought us to that 1 million mark far sooner than it had to be.

An analysis by researchers at Brown University and Microsoft AI health, shared with National Public Radio, estimated that more than 318,000 U.S. covid deaths might have been avoided if the nation had been able to reach a near-100 percent vaccination rate. Researchers calculated the peak vaccination rate for each state, then assumed that rate’s continuation until all adults for a state would have been vaccinated. Of the 641,000 Americans who died since the availability of covid vaccines, an estimated 318,981 deaths could have been averted, the research showed.

The state-by-state data makes the unavoidable observation that the nation’s “red and blue” political divide marked the greatest difference among vaccine acceptance among states, as well as observation of masking and other social distancing recommendations and requirements.

Among the states with the highest per capital rates of avoidable deaths were the red states of West Virginia (2,338 preventable deaths per 1 million adults), Wyoming, Tennessee, Kentucky and Oklahoma. While blue states, including Washington, D.C., (285 avoidable deaths per 1 million) Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Vermont and Hawaii had the lowest per capital rates for avoidable deaths.

Washington state’s preventable deaths, among the low end of the range, were estimated at 890 deaths per 1 million adults, for a total of 5,299 deaths that might have been avoided.

While that observation will surprise few after more than a year of debates about vaccines and masking, it makes the argument — even as it’s clear that covid is not nearly through with us, even if we’re through with it — that care and caution still are necessary.

Those who have not been vaccinated or have balked at vaccinating children 5 and older should reconsider; and at the very least should talk to their doctor. While the vaccine does not provide absolute certainty against being infected with the virus, it greatly reduces the likelihood of serious illness, hospitalization and death.

As more of us return to our workplaces, voluntary use of masks and safe distances should be considered as well as our contact with others increases.

And, finally, Congress — which has correctly recognized the worldwide threat posed by Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine and is expected to soon authorize $40 billion in additional aid to that country — now also needs to make an investment of at least half that amount to continue the fight in the U.S. against covid to boost supplies of vaccines, testing supplies and treatments, including Paxlovid, which the Biden administration pledged would be made available soon after a positive covid test.

Our fight against covid has been long, costly and physically and emotionally exhausting. But it is not over. Not as long as those numbers continue to tick by.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Feb. 17

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., has introduced its new R2 models, smaller and more affordable SUVs. (Rivian)
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales

Legislation would allow EV makers to sell directly to customers, making lease or purchase easier.

Comment: No one saw Musk’s DOGE rampage coming or its threat

With no formal grant of authority, Musk is making cuts without fully understanding the consequences.

Douthat: Trump is chasing off lawyers he’ll need at some point

The deal to clear Adams serves Trump only as a way of identify whom he can consider loyal in the DOJ.

President Donald Trump listens alongside Elon Musk as he explains the administration’s cost-cutting efforts in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Musk has for weeks posted on social media about government spending, often amplifying and seeding false information. (Eric Lee/The New York Times)
Comment: This crisis can’t be left to courts alone

The courts can uphold the law, but they can’t match the speed of the executive branch in tearing down systems.

People walk adjacent to the border with Canada at the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park, where cars behind wait to enter Canada at the border crossing Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but America kept similar restrictions in place, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from coronavirus travel bans. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Editorial: U.S. and Canada better neighbors than housemates

President Trump may be serious about annexing Canada, but it’s a deal fraught with complexities for all.

CNA Nina Prigodich, right, goes through restorative exercises with long term care patient Betty Long, 86, at Nightingale's View Ridge Care Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Boost state Medicaid funding for long-term care

With more in need of skilled nursing and assisted-living services, funding must keep up to retain staff.

bar graph, pie chart and diagrams isolated on white, 3d illustration
Editorial: Don’t let state’s budget numbers intimidate you

With budget discussions starting soon, a new website explains the basics of state’s budget crisis.

Eco-nomics: Climate change is making insurance a risky bet

Keeping home insurance affordable amid climate change will take adaptation to threats and broader efforts.

The Buzz: When you gotta boogie, best to shake it off, kid

A pasquidadian review of the week’s news.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Sunday, Feb. 16

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Stick with solutions to homelessness that have heart

A friend of mine, a poet from Leningrad who was born during… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.