Number of new COVID-19 cases peak in Washington, breaking single-day record set last winter

A week before the Christmas holiday, state health officials issued a warning: The omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading throughout Washington at an astonishing speed, they said, and we could soon see another peak in new COVID cases.  

They were right.

Data from the state Department of Health shows Washington logged a record-breaking 6,235 new infections on Friday, dwarfing the previous single-day record of 5,526 set in December of last year.

The previous record was set at a time when vaccines weren’t widely available. The idea that Washington could set a new infection record more than year after the U.S. kicked off its vaccination effort is troubling.

The problem is that the omicron variant is extraordinarily contagious. Health experts say it’s even more contagious than the delta variant, which is thought to be twice as transmissible as initial strains of the virus. Initial studies also show that it’s remarkably effective in infecting those who have been vaccinated.

The silver lining is that omicron is not as severe as previous versions of the virus. While the number of new cases in Washington have skyrocketed in the last two weeks, the number hospitalizations and deaths are down.

Still, the rate at which the virus is spreading is alarming. In King County, the state’s most populous county, the number of new cases has increased 213% in the last week. The county is averaging 1,987 cases per day. Statewide, that number is 4,002.

The emergence of the omicron variant, combined with holiday gatherings and the onset of unseasonably cold weather — a lack of humidity makes your nose drier, which makes it easier for germs to enter your body — likely accounts for the massive spike in new cases.

Health experts say booster shots are the best way to prevent getting sick. Early data suggests that an initial vaccine series is between 30% and 40% effective in preventing an infection, while an initial series combined with a booster is between 70% and 75% effective.

Booster shots are now available in the U.S. to everyone ages 16 and up. The state Department of Health website doesn’t track the number of people who have received a booster, but data shows that roughly 63% of Washington residents have completed a full vaccination series.

If you received the Pfizer vaccine initially, you qualify to get a booster if you’re at least 16 and received your second dose at least 6 months ago. If you received the Moderna vaccine, you qualify to get a booster if you’re at least 18 and received your second dose at least 6 months ago. If you got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you qualify to get a booster if you’re at least 18 and received your shot at least 2 months ago.

You can find, and make, an appointment to get a booster on the state’s vaccine finder website.