Articles about public health

New renderings show Univ. of Washington building that will house clean energy research and more

Newly released renderings show a building planned for the west campus of the University of Washington in Seattle that will… Read More

SCAN resumes community coronavirus testing after winning review board’s OK

The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network today resumed its at-home COVID-19 testing campaign, nearly a month after the program was suspended… Read More

Health experts seek to balance community concerns and coronavirus concerns

Public health officials for Seattle and King County today acknowledged the seriousness of the crisis sparked by last week’s killing… Read More

After crises and confusion, health officials are closing the coronavirus testing gap

Ten days after Washington Gov. Jay Inslee took the Trump administration to task for failing to send enough supplies for… Read More

Coronavirus contact tracing is ramping up, along with online training to fill the gap

The Washington State Department of Health is in the early stages of a massive effort to interview COVID-19 patients and… Read More

Public health officials are putting out the call for broader coronavirus testing

Washington state public health officials have broadened their guidance to say that anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms, or has been… Read More

Social distancing needs to be more stringent to avoid COVID-19 rebound, experts say

Although many states are starting to relax restrictions on business activity and contacts, Seattle-area epidemiologists say such restrictions will need… Read More

PBS Frontline contrasts state and federal response to coronavirus crisis in ‘a tale of two Washingtons’

When the first COVID-19 case in the U.S. was discovered in Seattle, officials in Washington state quickly realized they would… Read More

Washington’s governor appeals to VP Mike Pence for more COVID-19 testing supplies

In a strongly worded letter, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told Vice President Mike Pence today that the state has “nowhere… Read More

UW Medicine calls a halt to use of donated coronavirus test kits amid quality concerns

The University of Washington School of Medicine has alerted Seattle-King County public health officials and other partners to stop using… Read More

Is the outbreak widening or fading? Fresh analysis suggests that we’re ‘on the cusp’

An updated analysis of COVID-19 case data and Facebook mobility data suggests that Seattle and King County are “on the… Read More

Scientists say social distancing may need to stretch into 2022, but more research on immunity is needed

Based on simulations of the coronavirus outbreak’s future course, Harvard scientists say prolonged or intermittent social distancing may be necessary… Read More

Washington, Oregon and California to coordinate on plan to re-open economies and fight COVID-19

West Coast states unveiled a unified approach to lifting lockdown orders and combating COVID-19 on Monday. The governors of Washington,… Read More

King County public health officials will be distributing 20,000 coronavirus test kits

To address a worrisome gap in testing for coronavirus, Seattle-King County public health officials say they’ll be distributing more than… Read More

Washington governor extends ‘stay home’ order until May 4, says it’s ‘absolutely the soonest’ state could re-open

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee extended the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order for an additional month Thursday. The rules, which… Read More

Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network launches with boost from Bill Gates, Amazon and volunteers

The scientific sleuths who tracked down the origins of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle area have announced a… Read More

Washington governor avoids ‘shelter in place’ rule, but warns citizens they’re not doing enough

Editor’s note: On Monday, March 23, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ordered all residents except essential workers to stay at home… Read More

Bill Gates calls out federal government for disorganized COVID-19 testing in Reddit AMA

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, a leading philanthropist on global public health, offered predictions and advice for coping with the COVID-19… Read More

Washington state will temporarily close restaurants, bars, and entertainment/recreational facilities

Washington state will temporarily close restaurants, bars, and entertainment/recreational facilities statewide starting Monday, March 16 in the latest move to… Read More

Health officials advise people to work at home, postpone gatherings to slow spread of coronavirus

As the coronavirus epidemic widens, public health officials in Seattle-King County are recommending that people work at home if possible… Read More

High school student near Seattle builds website to serve as a leading place for coronavirus information

Along with his concern for the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Avi Schiffmann was concerned about the spread of misinformation.… Read More

‘How are your tweets feeling?’ Researchers find connection between Twitter users’ emotions and flu outbreaks

Imagine if public health workers could monitor social media to take the emotional temperature of a specific population and use… Read More

Gates Foundation is giving $279M to help UW study global population health, the largest private donation in university history

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded the University of Washington a $279 million grant, distributed over the next… Read More

public health