The fourth identified case of Omicron in Oregon occurs in Lane County

Lane County has detected the first case of Omicron.

According to health officials, the person was in his twenties and was traveling to the United States before testing for the virus. Oregon Capital Chronicle reported..

“Omicron’s confirmation in Lane County reminds us of some important truths,” said senior public health officer Dr. Patrick Rutke in a statement. “We don’t live in the bubble, travel makes it more likely that variants will circulate, and there are tools to prevent the effects of Omicron.”

According to Jason Davis, a Lane County correspondent, the person’s symptoms appeared shortly after returning to Oregon. Davis did not know the person’s gender or whether he was a student at the University of Oregon who performed the genome sequencing.

The person was first tested on Tuesday, December 14, and the sequence started the next day. The University of Oregon finished the sequence on Friday, but confirmed the results on Monday, Davis said.

According to a statement from the University of Oregon, we receive Covid test samples from local providers, states, and our own monitoring programs. These samples have no identification information.

The person is isolated, but does not know they have Omicron. Lane County Public Health Investigators informed the person last week that they had Covid, but are following up to tell them they have a highly infectious strain. not.

This is Omicron’s fourth known case in Oregon. Three other cases were published a week ago among people in their 20s and 30s in Multnomah and Washington counties. State health officials did not release information about their symptoms.

Davis said residents of Lane County were not hospitalized.

“Symptoms are classified as mild,” he said.

Two other cases were reported in Clark County, Washington on Monday. Omicron was first detected in Washington earlier this month. Since then, more than 12 cases have been identified there, including at least three cases related to wrestling matches, Clark County health officials said.

Omicron is more infectious than the delta variant and has not been identified, but it can cause mild symptoms. Omicron cases double every 2-3 days.Forecast by Oregon Health & Science University Forecast on friday That Omicron could become the dominant strain of Oregon in two weeks.

This means that by February, 3,000 infected people in Oregon could need hospital beds. This is compared to 1,200 in early September, when cases of delta variants peaked.

Oregon does not have enough staffed beds to treat many people at once.

State announced Friday plan Invite healthcare workers from outside the state, strengthen vaccinations, and add staff to healthcare facilities. It is not clear where additional health care workers will come from. Demand for temporary health care workers is high across the country, and there are currently 15,000 unachieved health care workers in Oregon.

State plans require Oregon residents to receive an additional 1 million booster shots by the end of January. Studies show that two doses of the vaccine only prevent about 30% of people from becoming infected with Omicron. According to a UK study, booster doses increase it by over 80%.

State data show that just under 30% of adults in Oregon receive booster shots and 80% receive two doses.

“With the rapid spread of Oregon variants across the country and now confirmed in Oregon, the Governor is urging all Oregon citizens to continue to wear masks and be vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible.” Said Brown on Monday, a statement from Governor Kate’s office.

Local public health authorities with the lowest immunization rates may struggle to increase the dose of booster immunity. Some told the Capital Chronicles on Monday that they weren’t in great demand. Securing additional personnel doesn’t make a big difference.

–Lynne Terry, Oregon Capital Chronicle