Health Care Provider Alert: Wildfire Smoke & Unhealthy Air Quality

Ongoing wildfires in the Pacific Northwest region have caused a substantial decline in air quality that is expected to last through the coming weekend, with a forecast for improvement by the beginning of next week.  As you are aware, this may lea...

COVID-19 Updates for Clinicians: August 3, 2020

COVID-19 Update 

COVID-19 incidence continued to increase for the sixth consecutive week through July 25, with the most recent 2-week period being 97 confirmed cases per 100K*14days (see Figure 1 below). When this metric approaches or exceeds 100,...

Update on COVID-19 Testing for Healthcare Providers

Update on COVID-19 Testing for Healthcare Providersc/o Kathy Lofy, MD (State Health Officer, Washington State Department of Health [DOH])

Dear Provider,

We recently became aware of significant delays in obtaining COVID-19 test results from some of the large...

Isolation & Quarantine Referral Information for Health Care Providers

Snohomish County health care providers:If you identify someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has test results pending, does not need hospitalization, and cannot isolate themselves in a safe/secure environment, you can refer the person to Snohomi...

COVID-19 Update for Clinicians: May 19, 2020

SUMMARY: See this health alert for

• Augmented Case & Contact Investigations for COVID-19
• COVID-19 Clinical Trials
• Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated with COVID-19
• COVID-19 Data

Augmented Case & Contact Investigations for ...

Infection Prevention and PPE Guidance for Dental Healthcare Professionals: May 14, 2020

In this advisory:

• Dentistry and COVID-19 transmission
• Patient care, staff screening, and cleaning
• Current PPE availability and requesting resources
• Infection control and PPE recommendations

*Guidance is compiled from CDC and ADA sources. See Resources section ...

COVID-19 Update for Veterinarians: May 5, 2020

COVID-19 Update for VeterinariansMay 5, 2020

SUMMARY: See this health alert for

• COVID-19 Guidance for Veterinarians
• Caring for a pet from a household where a person has suspected or confirmed COVID-19
•  Testing for SARS-CoV-2
• Managing a pet th...

COVID-19 Update for Clinicians, May 1, 2020

SUMMARY: See this health alert for 

• Updated Guidelines for SARS-CoV2 Testing 
• SARS-CoV2 Testing Survey 
• Health District Not a Venue for SARS-CoV2 Serology 
• HRSA Launches COVID-19 Uninsured Program 
• COVID-19 in 2020 ...

Isolation & Quarantine Referral Process Update: April 27, 2020

Please note that the referral process for the isolation-and-quarantine (I&Q) facility at Angel of the Winds Arena has been simplified. To launch a referral, please just contact the I&Q facility directly at 425-238-3439. Criteria for eligibility ar...

COVID-19 Update for Clinicians: April 24, 2020

SUMMARY: See this health alert for

• Health District After-Hours Calls
• How to Sign Up for Health Advisories
• Serologic Testing

Health District After-Hours Calls

Our after-hours communicable disease (CD) reporting line (425-339-5278) prompts clinicians to...

COVID-19 Update for Clinicians: April 13, 2020

COVID-19 Update for CliniciansApril 13, 2020

Contents

• Isolation & Quarantine Site Update
• Syndromic Management of STD during COVID-19
• COVID-19 Data
• Isolation and Quarantine Supplemental Materials

Isolation & Quarantine Site Update

Requested Actions:

• Please...

COVID-19 Update for Clinicians April 7, 2020

In this update:

• COVID-19 Data Update
• Snohomish County Isolation & Quarantine Facility
• HIPAA & Telehealth during COVID-19 Emergency
• Cloth Face Coverings

Summary

Taken together, these data provisionally suggest that COVID-19 transmission is decreasing in ...

COVID-19 Update for Clinicians March 27, 2020

COVID-19 Data Update

Summary

Taken together, these data suggest that COVID-19 transmission is increasing in the community and that an increasing proportion of emergency department visits and hospital admissions for febrile respiratory disease over the past ...

COVID-19 Update for Clinicians March 22, 2020

SUMMARY: See this health alert for

• Brief Epidemiologic Update
• Updated Guidance from the Washington State Department of Health
• Requested Action
• Background
• Isolation – Healthcare Workers and First Responders
• Quarantine – Healthcare Wo...

March 19 Updated COVID-19 Guidance for Clinicians

COVID-19 Updated Guidance for CliniciansMarch 19, 2020

Summary: Please review this health alert for:

• Situation update
• Future projections and care standards planning
• Testing guidelines update
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Long term care facilities
• Kidney ce...

March 9 COVID-19 Updated Guidance for Clinicians

COVID-19 Updated Guidance for Clinicians March 9, 2020 

SUMMARY: Please review this health alert for: 

• Situation update 
• Laboratory testing guidance 
• Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings 
• Directions for Pati...

Outpatient Guidance for COVID-19: March 5, 2020

The attached outpatient guidance for the COVID-19 response is being shared from Washington Department of Health and Snohomish Health District. 

Please see the DOH document here: https://alertsenseadmin.blob.core.windows.net/snohomish-county-wa/Out...

March 3 COVID-19 Updated Guidance for Clinicians

•    Surveillance data through March 2, 2020

• Updated tool for patient triage attached.
• COVID-19 testing is now commercially available through the University of Washington 
  • Information page:  https://testguide.labm...

COVID-19 Update for Health Care Systems Mitigating COVID-19 Impacts

Requested Actions: 

• Please review SHD’s recent updates for clinicians from February 28 and March 1 and follow those guidelines for determining eligibility for COVID-19 testing. Visit http://www.snohd.org/304/HealthAlerts 
• Put sys...

March 1, 2020 COVID-19 Updated Guidance for Clinicians

• The February 28 update contained an error of omission in the definition of a person under investigation (PUI) eligible for testing.  The phrase “…requiring hospitalization” was missing from the second row addressing...

February 28, 2020 COVID-19 Updated Guidance for Clinicians

Corrected March 1, 2020

Clinical Guidance & Requested Actions

• Sustained person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 in large numbers has been established in nations near to and far from China, including South Korea (1766), Italy (528), Iran (245), and Jap...

Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Respiratory Infection Updated Guidance for Health Care Providers 2/6

Health Alert: Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Respiratory Infection Updated Guidance for Health Care Providers February 6, 2020 

Update: 

• 18 days have passed since 2019-nCoV was confirmed in a Snohomish Country traveler returning from Wuhan,...

Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Respiratory Infection Updated Guidance for Health Care Providers

Requested Actions 

• Be aware that 
  • 2019-nCoV has been confirmed in a traveler who returned to Snohomish County from Wuhan, China, on January 15; and 
  • approximately 50 contacts from health care and occupational settings are being mon...

Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Respiratory Infection Wuhan City, China & Snohomish County

Action requested:

• Be aware that 2019-nCoV has been confirmed in a traveler who recently returned to Snohomish County from Wuhan, China.
• Obtain a detailed travel history for patients being evaluated with fever and acute respiratory illness.
• 2019-nCoV should b...

Health Advisory: Hepatitis A Outbreak in Snohomish County

Actions requested:  

• Health care providers, particularly hospital emergency departments and urgent care centers, should offer hepatitis A vaccines to all patients who are homeless, users of injection or non-injection illicit drugs, infected with h...

Influenza Circulating in Snohomish County

Action requested: 

• Be aware that influenza is now circulating in the community (see Figure 1 below). 
• Encourage unvaccinated patients to get vaccinated as soon as possible, particularly those predisposed to severe illness or complications ...

Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis Reporting, Assessment & Vaccine Availability

Action requested:   

• Immediately notify the Snohomish Health District Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response Program (SHD CD) at 425.339.5278 to report suspected human rabies exposures due to a bite from or other exposure to an an...

Vaping-Associated Lung Injury: Clinician Guidelines, State Board of Health Emergency Rule

Background: 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state and local health departments, and other clinical and public health partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of vaping-related lung injury...

Outbreak of Severe Lung Disease Associated with E-cigarette Use or Vaping

Health Alert: Outbreak of Severe Lung Disease Associated with E-cigarette Use or Vaping

Three Cases Identified in Washington State

Key Actions Requested: 

• Be aware of reports of severe pulmonary disease associated with vaping from multiple U.S. stat...

Health Advisories: Hepatitis A Case, Vaping-associated Illness, and Upcoming Training

Hepatitis A Case in Snohomish County

Actions requested: 

• Be aware of a confirmed case of hepatitis A in a foodworker at Ashiya Teriyaki located at 1233 164th St SW in Lynnwood. People who ate at this restaurant between August 2 and August 15 may be...

Health Advisory: Hepatitis A Outbreak in Washington State

August 6, 2019 

Situation: 

Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has announced the outbreak of Hepatitis A within Washington State.  Multiple states across the country have reported outbreaks of Hepatitis A, primarily among...

Health Advisory: Measles Outbreak in Clark County, Washington — Jan. 28, 2019

Key Messages:

• According to Washington Department of Health, 34 people in Clark County and 1 adult in King County, and 1 person in Multnomah County, Oregon have been confirmed as measles.
• Report all patients with suspected measles immediately to the Snohomis...

Health Advisory: Measles Outbreak in Clark County, Washington — Jan. 24, 2019

Key Messages:

• According to Washington Department of Health, 23 people in Clark County and 1 adult in King County have been confirmed as measles, with 3 suspect cases also children, and over 1,000 contacts.
• Consider the diagnosis of measles among persons pre...