Two new confirmed cases as virus spreads throughout county

Whatcom County has two more cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total of confirmed cases to five, the Whatcom County Health Department announced in a March 17 press release. The new cases are a male in his 40s and a male in his 60s. The health department did not release information on where they live.

As of March 17, 166 Whatcom County residents had tested negative for the disease caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

The number of confirmed cases doesn't tell the whole story, health officials say. At least one of the new cases had no known contact with other confirmed cases. Of the three Whatcom County cases confirmed before March 17, one has a connection to a known case, but the three don't appear to have a connection to each other – there is no single case or location to which they're all related.

“We know it's spreading beyond just the cases we are aware of,” said Judy Ziels, Whatcom County deputy public information officer. With these new cases, Whatcom County health officials say everyone is now at risk of being exposed to the new coronavirus and that risk increases in public setting or large gatherings.

Previously, the health department tried to release location information for confirmed cases. It warned that those at the Silver Reef Casino buffet on March 10 could have been exposed to COVID-19, for example.

That information is no longer relevant; one is just as likely to be exposed to the new coronavirus there as virtually any other crowded place in the county, Ziels said.

“It’s a false perception to say there are these single sites of infection,” she said. “The main message is that the more people you’re in contact with, the closer contact, the more risk you're in.”

The health department is still investigating who people with confirmed cases came into contact with and informing those people.

In addition to the five confirmed cases in Whatcom County, several other confirmed cases have a connection to the county, including a construction worker at Western Washington University who lives in Snohomish County and a Lummi Indian Business Council employee who lives in King County.

A lack of testing has hampered the U.S. response to the virus since the outbreak began. The U.S. lags behind most other countries with outbreaks in the amount of tests conducted per capita, according to data compiled by Business Insider from health bureaus around the world.

While testing has ramped up in Washington state, expanding beyond a state lab to now include the UW Virology lab and private labs, the biggest bottleneck in Whatcom County is currently swabs, personnel protective equipment and people to perform the tests.

Countrywide, the number of confirmed cases climbed to 4,226 on March 16; two weeks earlier, there were 125, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Washington state is one of several nationwide hotspots for the disease. As of the state's March 16 update, Washington had 904 cases and 48 deaths.

To protect yourself and to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Whatcom County Health Department recommends the following:

• Maintain a distance of six feet from others whenever possible.
•  Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 or more people.
• If you are sick, stay home
• If you are sick and have mild symptoms, stay home and take care of yourself as you would for a cold or flu.
• If you have severe symptoms and need medical care, call your regular doctor first.
• Do not go to the emergency room. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs.
• Your health care provider will determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.