Health
Oregon Health Authority creates new hotline, website for Covid-19 patients
With cases of omicron skyrocketing, the Oregon Health Authority is taking a new approach to tracking new Covid-19 infections. Investigators are no longer trying to call those who test positive for the coronavirus. State and county health departments have been using such calls to trace exposures and provide quarantine information. Now, it’s created a website […]
Oregon deploying 1,200 National Guard to help overwhelmed hospitals
In less than a week, Gov. Kate Brown has more than doubled the number of Oregon National Guard members being deployed to Oregon hospitals. “Our hospitals are under extreme pressure,” Brown said in a tweet on Wednesday. “Fueled by the omicron variant, current hospitalizations are over 700 and daily Covid-19 case counts are alarmingly high.” […]
State issued guidelines on rationing care, but hospitals have their own standards
Oregon hospitals and health care specialists are shoring up resources and adopting surge plans in preparation for an overload of Covid-19 patients. But that may not be enough to ensure everyone is treated if hospitals become overwhelmed. On Friday, the Oregon Health Authority released guidelines to help hospital systems ration care if they run short […]
Some Oregon school districts pause, ignore, or lack supplies for test-to-stay protocol
Testing meant to detect unvaccinated students exposed to Covid-19 in schools is hitting supply and staffing challenges, according to school district leaders. As Covid-19 cases declined in November, the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Education Department announced a new protocol to keep more students in the classroom. Under the program, unvaccinated students who are […]
Oregon reaches dire stage in pandemic as state issues guidelines for rationing care
The Covid-19 pandemic in Oregon has reached a dire stage, with the Oregon Health Authority advising hospitals how to ration care when they run out of beds, and officials warning the public that widespread infections will disrupt everyone’s life. During a news conference on Friday, Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon’s state epidemiologist, said the highly infectious […]
Covid-19 cases start to overwhelm Portland area health officials
The accelerating spread of Covid-19 is beginning to overwhelm Portland-area health officials. With infections growing exponentially and hospitalizations sharply rising, health officials in the three metro counties said Thursday they’re shifting resources away from investigating cases to vaccination. Those who test positive for Covid-19 will get their test results but they are unlikely to get […]
Health Care Heroes: Medford physician uses video visits to keep contact with patients
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Dr. Nat Fondell switched to video visits with his patients. Many were reluctant to make office visits over fears of catching Covid-19. But Fondell had another reason for using video. Just treated with chemotherapy for cancer, he was immunocompromised. Video visits had advantages, too. Fondell used it to […]
‘We’re definitely into the omicron wave,’ says Oregon’s top health care official
After watching coronavirus skyrocket elsewhere in the country, Oregon health officials are now tallying a spike in coronavirus cases in the state. On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority will be reporting more than 4,500 cases, marking by far a new one-day high, the agency’s director, Patrick Allen, told the Health Policy Board. Tuesday’s numbers always […]
Omicron variant spreading faster than expected, Oregon hospitals face major wave of patients
Oregon goes into the new year with the omicron variant of covid spreading faster than expected, setting the stage for record hospitalizations through January, according to the latest forecast from Oregon Health & Science University. The forecast by Dr. Peter Graven, director of OHSU’s Office of Advanced Analytics, reversed course from a more hopeful report […]
Oregon buys 6 million at-home test kits to give away free through community outlets
SALEM – The Oregon Health Authority has ordered 6 million home test kits to be given away free to help detect the coronavirus, the agency announced Thursday. The kits, each containing two tests, will be sent to health agencies, schools and community organizations to distribute. They also will go to farm and agricultural workers, health […]
Health Care Heroes: OHSU’s Covid hotline helps to save lives
Seven days a week, nurses are ready with answers on a special hotline established to help Oregonians deal with Covid. Hundreds of calls come through every day on the free Covid hotline created in March 2020 by Oregon Health & Science University. By phone, nurses work to answer questions about the coronavirus and help those […]
New Oregon forecast dials back hospitalizations for Covid – but still an omicron surge
Oregon’s bout with the omicron variant of the coronavirus will be less severe than expected but hospitalizations are still forecast to reach a system-straining peak in February. Oregon Health & Science University said in a statement Thursday that the forecast was modified to account for “expected booster shots and behavior modifications by Oregonians to reduce […]