COVID-19 Thousands of Oregons get sick in a week, monkeypox causes dozens of cases

The latest coronavirus variants are sickening thousands of Oregons a week, increasing the demand for beds, and the monkeypox virus has spread to only a few dozen.

Oregon state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said in an online press conference Wednesday that monkeypox is not something most people should worry about. However, COVID-19 remains a concern.

The reported cases and hospitalizations, along with the results of wastewater sampling, indicate “high levels” of infection, “said Sidelinger. According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 counties in Oregon are considered high-risk, he said. Only three counties, Hood River, Wheeler and Gilliam, are classified as low risk.

Hospitalization for COVID-19 and other symptoms, including those who delayed treatment during the first two years of the pandemic, said hospitals in the state were in jeopardy.

“Our hospital system is very stressful and not evenly distributed throughout the state,” says Sidelinger. “But there is no medical system that can be spared from now on.”

Hospitals in central and southern Oregon are working on the highest rates of staff shortages, Sidelinger said. St. Charles Health System, which has three hospitals in Bend, Madras and Prineville, recently fired about 4% of its staff due to reduced earnings.

Oregon Health Department data does not select St. Charles. The number of hospitalizations is grouped by region. Region 7, which includes the counties of Crook, Deschutz, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, and Wheeler, has five of its 45 intensive care units. Three of the 94 ICU beds in Region 2 – Benton, Lincoln, Lynn, Marion, Pork, and Yamhill County – are free. Region 5, which straddles Jackson and Josephine counties in southern Oregon, also has five of the 58 ICU beds.

“Currently in Oregon, hospital beds, especially ICU beds, are very limited,” said Sidelinger.

Last week, 458 COVID patients were hospitalized in Oregon, Sidelinger said, and demand for beds hasn’t diminished.

“We remained stable in nature,” he said.

Like the rest of the country, a variant named BA.5 predominates in Oregon. According to experts, this is the most infectious variant to date and is effective in evading immunity by vaccination or previous infection. According to experts, infected people can be re-infected after two weeks.

Nonetheless, Sidelinger said the vaccines available are still effective in preventing serious illness. According to health official data, people over the age of 65 make up the majority of inpatients.

The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which approves the COVID-19 vaccine in California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, has approved the use of the new vaccine. Made by Novavax, it uses traditional techniques based on the proteins contained in the virus to teach it to attack the immune system when it invades the body. Sidelinger said clinical trials prior to the spread of the Omicron variant showed that it was as effective in preventing as severe illness and death as the doses of Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson.

Sidelinger said he did not expect double-dose vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Modana vaccines, to dramatically increase Oregon’s vaccination coverage. Currently, nearly 85% of adults are vaccinated at least once. A total of 77% received two doses and 47% received booster shots, health official data show.

“It may not have a significant impact as it is available to people who have not yet been vaccinated, but a fairly small percentage of Oregon people may be skeptical of vaccine options. “Hmm,” said Sidelinger. “This option is now available.”

Supplies are not yet available in Oregon. Sidelinger said he expects the first cargo to arrive in about a week. Dosages are initially limited, but are expected to increase, Sidelinger said.

The state has lifted most of its obligations, but Sidelinger advised people to mask indoors.

“We all need to wear a mask that fits snugly, especially if we may be around others in an indoor environment,” says Sidelinger. “For high-risk individuals, or those who care for or live with people at high risk of complications from COVID-19, wearing a mask in a public place indoors provides additional protection. You can also protect the people around you by wearing a mask in a highly permeable state area. “

Monkeypox spreads

Vaccines against monkeypox or hMPXV are also restricted, Sidelinger said.

“Manufacturers are bringing more to the county, and our federal partners are diverting it to the state based on their illness burden,” Sidelinger said.

Health authorities limit doses to people at high risk of infection. They are gay men and other men who have sex with men. Infection is caused by skin-to-skin contact or prolonged intimate exposure.

Since June 7, health officials have counted 32 monkeypox cases in Oregon. The state identified 15 cases in Multnomah County, 10 cases in Lane County, 6 cases in Washington County, and 1 case in Clackamas County.

He said the number was underestimated.

He confirmed that all patients in Oregon were men, and most, if not all, were sleeping with other men.

He said local authorities have worked with the gay community, including baths and bars, to disseminate information about infections and vaccine availability. Men at risk need to contact their health care provider and may be put on the waiting list for vaccines, he said.

Symptoms usually begin with fever and other flu-like symptoms. Most patients develop a rash that spreads to the face and limbs. No patient died and the disease did not cause high levels of hospitalization, but Sidelinger said the patient was suffering.

“Many people experience extreme pain due to these lesions,” said Sidelinger. “These can be caries lesions that are causing drinking and eating problems. These are lesions in the anal or rectal area that cause extreme pain that makes defecation difficult.”

He said some patients reported experiencing the worst pain in their lives.

The state is targeting the LGBTQ community to make them aware of the outbreak and encourage them to protect themselves. According to experts, the best precaution is to refrain from having sex when symptoms appear and talk to your sexual partner about your illness before having sex.

“We want to ensure that most Oregon citizens are not at risk of being infected with hMPXV,” Saidlinger said. “This is not as easy to spread as COVID-19.”

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