Wear a mask, get the shot: How to navigate summer Covid spike in King County

Covid is at its highest point in a year in King County, with nearly twice the normal number of people visiting the ER every week for Covid-related symptoms or complications. It’s part of a nationwide Covid wave.

Most of the country saw a sharp spike last winter, but King County did not, so this is the biggest outbreak here in a long time.

“Historically, we’ll always think about respiratory illness season as the fall and winter,” said Dr. Eric Chow, chief epidemiologist at King County’s public health agency. “But Covid, with this increase during the summer for several years now — I really want people to make sure they aren’t caught off guard by this.”

“Even if you might not be at risk for severe disease, it is really terrible when you get Covid-19,” he added.

Chow said one issue is that most people haven’t been getting the annual updated Covid vaccines. Only about one in four people in King County got the last one, which came out in fall 2024 and is still available at some pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

“And we’re seeing lower rates as you get to the lower age groups,” Chow said. “It does make me concerned that there’s less vaccine protection in those groups.”

Most of the people visiting the ER for Covid are either over 65, or they're babies and children under the age of 4.

Nationally, hospitalizations for Covid are still low — but they’re starting to tick up.

Chow said those who haven’t gotten the most recent Covid vaccine can still get it. And those who are up-to-date on the vaccine can protect themselves further, Chow said, by improving ventilation and masking up on airplanes and other crowded indoor spaces.

Updated Covid vaccines should be available in the next month or so.