Clark County COVID-19 deaths at 19, with 327 confirmed cases

Clark County Public Health confirmed two new COVID-19 deaths and six new cases on Friday morning.

The death toll is now 19, with 327 total confirmed cases in the county. More than 3,300 people in Clark County have been tested for the disease.

According to Public Health, the number of individuals tested is provided by the Washington State Department of Health and undercounts the number of people tested in Clark County. The state data does not include people receiving rapid-result testing, which is becoming more common in Clark County. The number of positive tests includes all positive tests reported to Public Health, regardless of testing method.

The new deaths were a man and a woman, both 80 years or older. While the majority of Clark County’s novel coronavirus cases have been women (192), the majority of deaths have been men (16).

Public Health also updated the number of cases per 100,000 population by ZIP code. The only ZIP code in the county that has not had at least one confirmed case is 98674, a sparsely populated area that runs along the county’s northern border with Cowlitz County from Interstate 5 to Lake Merwin. The ZIP codes with the most cases are 98606, which covers parts of Brush Prairie and Hockinson; 98662, which covers central Vancouver and Orchards, near Vancouver Mall; and 98665, the Hazel Dell area.

According to the Department of Health, the total number of cases in Washington is 12,753 as of April 22, with 711 deaths. More than 150,000 people statewide have been tested for the disease. The state population as of 2019 is 7.6 million.

For more information, visit Clark County’s novel coronavirus webpage, or the Department of Health’s webpage.

Testing increases in senior care facilities

Public Health and Vancouver Clinic have partnered to conduct COVID-19 testing at long-term care facilities.

Vancouver Clinic is conducting universal testing of staff and residents at any long-term care facility that has a confirmed case.

There are 66 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Clark County long-term care facilities — a mixture of staff and residents who work and reside in adult family homes, skilled nursing facilities and assisted/independent living facilities. Eighteen of the county’s coronavirus deaths have been people 60 and older.

A Vancouver Clinic care team is going into the facilities to collect specimens, so residents can remain in their homes and not risk potential exposure at a medical facility, according to a Vancouver Clinic news release.

“We want to make sure the residents and staff of the long-term care homes have access to testing without having to leave their homes,” said Alfred Seekamp, Vancouver Clinic chief medical officer.

Vancouver Clinic started testing at care homes April 9, and has tested 600 staff and residents in the past two weeks.

“We know with this disease elderly people and those with chronic health conditions are more likely to die so we want to do whatever we can to protect this population,” Clark County Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick said.

Source: https://www.columbian.com