Sporadic COVID-19 cases surge in Oregon for 3 consecutive weeks

For the third consecutive week, COVID-19 cases that were unable to trace back to known sources cause an increase in the number of Oregon coronavirus cases.

On Thursday, the state recorded it Highest daily number of cases Historical: 437.

The Oregon Health Authority has increased infections in COVID-19 cases by 7% over the past week, doubling the number of deaths from the previous week. Patrick Allen, head of OHA, described the positive test increase as a “problem” at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Allen and other state public health officials attribute the increase to rallying or so-called “sporadic spreads”, i.e. cases of unknown exposure to other COVID-19 cases or outbreaks. ..

The increase in these cases indicates that the virus is spreading unconfined in the community, officials said.

Data from the Oregon Health Authority showed that outbreaks associated with workplaces and other meeting locations were the main type of coronavirus cases almost every week from April to June 20. Since then, the number of outbreak-related cases has declined by more than half, but the number of sporadic cases exceeds 600 weekly.

“Large outbreaks make up a small proportion of recent cases,” Allen said. “These occurrences have been reduced in proportion to other types of cases, especially sporadic cases.”

The sporadic increase in cases means that the virus is spreading throughout the community, Allen said.

The increase may also indicate an inappropriate number of contact tracers and case investigators to quickly identify the root cause of the infection. Oregon’s Department of Health said some cases would be classified as sporadic due to delays between case reports and case studies.

According to the state, less than 95% of patients who tested positive the last day were contacted by local public health staff.

“I’m sure the sporadic cases are often due to delays in timely investigations,” state health official Dean Sydlinger said. “Case investigators have dealt with the increasing number of cases daily over the past few weeks.”

Saidlinger said the state has contracts with Oregon State University and will continue to contract with Oregon Health Sciences University and Portland State University to help investigate the case. The state is also hiring more case inspectors, he said.

Nonetheless, state public health officials said cases of community outbreaks were occurring in all counties, counties and cities of the state.

Governor Kate Brown put nine counties on the “watch list” earlier this month. This is because the counties have a high sporadic rate of infection and the virus is rapidly spreading. On the watch list are mostly small rural counties. Highest population On the watch list is Umatilla, which has a population of 78,000.

Others are Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, Mallor, Morrow, Union, Wasco. On Wednesday, Baker County was added to the watch list.

Counties are placed on watchlists based on infection rates without links to known sources. If the sporadic case rate exceeds 50 cases per 100,000 people, it will be listed.

As of 3 July, the lowest rate of such cases was 5.19 in Clatsop County. The highest was Morrow at 338.83. The sporadic case rate in Maltonoma County is 36.56, which is below the watch list bar.

In Malheur County, a small county in eastern Oregon, cases of coronavirus increased by 56% over five days, from 302 on Saturday to 471 on Thursday. The county’s sporadic case rate on July 3 was 193.88.

To Letter of July 9 The Oregon Department of Health told Maul County that 46% of cases in the county could not be traced to a specific exposure in the past week, with nearly half of the cases in the county being sporadic Means

The letter details that the county increased 125% of new COVID-19 cases with a 20% positive test rate over the past week, increasing recent hospitalizations.

In response, the Mallor County Court resolution On Wednesday, we will create a new measure for a more social occasion than the county’s current phase of resuming Phase 2.

Malheur County officials did not respond to calls or emails requesting comments about the increased county case.

Sidelinger warned Oregonians to wear face masks and be 6 feet away from others to limit social gatherings.

“The disease is spreading no matter where you live,” Sidedelinger said. “We need the Oregon to use common sense.”

-Selena Tebol

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