Los casos de COVID-19 han alcanzado altos índices de contagio y las variantes del virus, como el delta, son incluso más contagiosas que la cepa original. Entonces, ¿exactamente cómo estamos enfrentando y rastreando este problema?

Durante muchos años el estado de Washington ha utilizado una tecnología llamada secuenciación del genoma. La secuenciación del genoma es básicamente una forma de mapear la identificacion genética (o los planos) de un organismo o célula. Los médicos y científicos utilizan esta información para rastrear diversas enfermedades y virus. …

COVID-19 cases reached high levels, and variants of the virus, like delta, are even more contagious than the original strain. So how exactly are we tracking this?

For many years, Washington state has used a technology called genome sequencing. Genome sequencing is basically a way of mapping the fingerprints (or blueprints) of an organism, or cell. Doctors and scientists use this information to track various diseases and viruses. This is crucial to make predictions (or models) to help keep people safe.

We spoke with State Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases, Dr. Scott Lindquist, to learn how genome sequencing is used to…

Have you ever wondered how public health workers learn where they can help the most? They learn a lot from surveys. There are many different surveys, but one of the most important is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, or BRFSS.

Pronounced “bur fuss,” BRFSS is the longest continuously running phone survey in the world. It measures the health of people in Washington, and around the country. If you’re curious about how it works, read how it’s conducted and how you can help.

BRFSS is a unique survey. It asks residents about their own health and experiences instead of relying…

Para muchos de nosotros vacunarnos nos dio tranquilidad, esperanza, y la confianza de que estamos protegidos de enfermarnos gravemente por el virus COVID-19. Sin embargo, para las personas con enfermedades preexistentes, recibir la vacuna contra el COVID-19 puede causar ansiedad adicional y puede ser razón para programar otra visita con su proveedor de atención médica.

Para aquellos que ya hicieron su investigación, se contactaron con su proveedor de atención médica y recibieron la vacuna, los felicitamos. …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. This is a huge milestone in the fight against COVID-19! It’s something scientists and researchers have been working toward since the pandemic started, but what exactly does it mean?

Full FDA approval means that more people will choose to get vaccinated, which gets us closer to putting the pandemic behind us. In fact, rates have already increased since the announcement, and that’s terrific news. But while FDA approvals are well-known as the “gold standard” for proving a drug is safe and effective, the process isn’t…

Hemos pasado un mes muy difícil. Estamos viendo que la variante delta se propaga como un incendio forestal por nuestras comunidades. Las transmisiones de COVID-19 han aumentado y las tasas de hospitalización estatales han alcanzado un máximo histórico. Desafortunadamente, esto significa que hemos tenido que volver a algunas medidas preventivas como usar mascarillas nuevamente. A pesar de que esto puede parecer un gran retroceso, también hay algo de buenas noticias: las vacunas están funcionando.

Incluso en los casos de infección irruptiva extremadamente raros, se ha demostrado que las vacunas previenen enfermedades graves por COVID-19. Y seguimos viendo el impacto…

For many of us, getting vaccinated provided peace of mind, hope for the future, and most importantly, the confidence that we are protected against becoming seriously ill from the COVID-19 virus. However, for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, getting the COVID-19 vaccine may cause added anxiety and another reason to schedule a visit with their health care provider.

For those who already did their research, connected with their health care provider, and got the vaccine, we applaud you. …

It’s been a tough month. We’re seeing the delta variant spread like wildfire through our communities. COVID-19 transmissions have increased and state hospitalization rates have reached an all-time high. Unfortunately, this means we’ve had to return to some preventative measures like wearing masks again. Even though this may feel like a giant step backwards, there’s also some good news out there — the vaccines are working.

Even in the extremely rare breakthrough cases, the vaccines have been proven to prevent serious illnesses from COVID-19. And, we’re continuing to see the positive impact of vaccines to reduce the spread of the…