This week’s “Weekend Reads” include a big, important breakthrough on protein folding, a look at how Washington nonprofits are responding to the COVID-19 crisis, and King County’s analysis of where people are being exposed to COVID-19.
In an online press conference on Friday December 4, Public Health — Seattle King County Health Officer Jeff Duchin announced that though case levels of COVID-19 in King County dipped slightly in the past week, the impact of activity during the Thanksgiving weekend isn’t yet visible, and infections continue to be at “concerning levels.” Hospitals are currently stretched thin and have canceled elective surgeries to prepare for a potential COVID-19 surge. Duchin also noted that because of uncertainty about a new federal stimulus package, the County is contemplating cuts in critical public health services if Congress fails to act.
Federico Olivas and Julian Perez are both dancers in the same folk group, Bailadores de Bronce, that celebrates Mexican traditions. They both work in healthcare. And in recent weeks, both survived COVID-19. For each of them, this past Thanksgiving included an extra helping of gratitude.