Oregonians can expect a spike in COVID-19 cases in June, a top Oregon fitness official said Thursday.
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, lead epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority, said two variants called XBB. 1. 16 and XBB. 1. 9 that are rampaging in other countries, namely India, have still been detected in DNA research of the virus in Oregon. But the state is waiting for them to emerge and trigger a surge in cases in June, peaking at the end of the month. But that prognosis may change, he said.
“This is a long-term forecast, in terms of COVID, and I expect to see changes in the numbers in the coming months as we learn more about infections of those variants,” Sidelinger said at a news conference.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved updated boosters from Moderna and Pfizer that are designed to work against the fallout from omicron as the two new variants. After approval from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccines are expected to be available in Oregon, most likely starting this week, fitness spokesman Jonathan Modie told the Capital Chronicle.
Injections are only allowed for other people over the age of five or other people over the age of five whose immune formula weakens 4 months after receiving their last dose. Scientists say the new variants are the most infectious to date and can cause more severe symptoms.
About 400,000 more people are eligible for an updated retreat, Modie said.
Sidelinger expects all Oregonians to receive new vaccines in the fall.
Nearly 80% of adults in Oregon won a COVID vaccine and 70% finished the series. But less than a quarter of adults gained a booster.
However, the pandemic has subsided and life has largely returned to normal, Sidelinger said.
“We will see contagion,” he said. We will still wear masks infrequently to protect others around us who are at higher risk for serious COVID outcomes, and some settings, such as healthcare facilities, may still have policies requiring masks. “
The federal public fitness emergency ends on May 11, the end of pandemic support from the federal government, adding the vaccine subsidy.
Pfizer plans to sell its COVID vaccine for between $110 and $130 depending on the dose, the company announced last year. Vaccines will be covered through insurance policies because they are indexed in adult immunization schedules and formative years through the CDC, however, patients may face co-payouts. That could happen in early fall for vaccines and until the end of the year for therapeutic drugs, Sidelinger said.
“We are drawing up a plan for an elegant transition to the announced COVID-19 vaccine,” Sidelinger said.
Sidelinger said the federal government plans to allocate budget to others without insurance coverage for vaccines.
The Oregon Health Authority has no plans to hold vaccine events. Booster doses can be obtained through the Oregon Health System, local public fitness authorities, network organizations, fitness centers and federally qualified pharmacies, Modie said.
Vaccine e-cards, used across tens of thousands of Oregonians as proof of vaccination, will no longer be up to date after May 11, when the federal COVID fitness emergency ends. .
To date, the state has recorded nearly 973,000 COVID cases and 9,530 deaths. There will be more, Sidelinger said.
Hospitalizations have slowed over the past year, dropping below two hundred on March 20 for the first time since last May, Sidelinger said. As of Tuesday, 172 hospitalized patients had COVID. This compares to the other 1178 people hospitalized with COVID on September 1, 2021, the state’s peak.
“We’ve come a long way,” Sidelinger said.
The fitness authority no longer plans COVID briefings.
“We can now return to the activities and resolutions we all enjoyed before the pandemic began in early 2020, but some may continue to make adjustments to their physical condition and that of those around them,” Sidelinger said.
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by Lynne Terry, Oregon Capital Chronicle April 20, 2023
Oregonians can expect a spike in COVID-19 cases in June, a top Oregon fitness official said Thursday.
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, lead epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority, said two variants called XBB. 1. 16 and XBB. 1. 9 that are rampaging in other countries, namely India, have still been detected in DNA research of the virus in Oregon. But the state is waiting for them to emerge and trigger a surge in cases in June, peaking at the end of the month. But that prognosis may change, he said.
“This is a long-term forecast, in terms of COVID, and I expect to see changes in the numbers in the coming months as we learn more about infections of those variants,” Sidelinger said at a news conference.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved updated boosters from Moderna and Pfizer that are designed to work against the fallout from omicron as the two new variants. After approval from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccines are expected to be available in Oregon, most likely starting this week, fitness spokesman Jonathan Modie told the Capital Chronicle.
Injections are only allowed for other people over the age of five or other people over the age of five whose immune formula weakens 4 months after receiving their last dose. Scientists say the new variants are the most infectious to date and can cause more severe symptoms.
About 400,000 more people are eligible for an updated recall, Modie said.
Sidelinger expects all Oregonians to receive new vaccines in the fall.
Nearly 80% of adults in Oregon won a COVID vaccine and 70% finished the series. But less than a quarter of adults gained a booster.
However, the pandemic has subsided and life has largely returned to normal, Sidelinger said.
“We will see contagion,” he said. We will still wear masks infrequently to protect others around us who are at higher risk for serious COVID outcomes, and some settings, such as healthcare facilities, may still have policies requiring masks. “
The federal public fitness emergency ends on May 11, the end of pandemic support from the federal government, adding the vaccine subsidy.
Pfizer plans to sell its COVID vaccine for between $110 and $130 depending on the dose, the company announced last year. Vaccines will be covered through insurance policies because they are indexed in adult immunization schedules and formative years through the CDC, however, patients may face co-payouts. That could happen in early fall for vaccines and until the end of the year for therapeutic drugs, Sidelinger said.
“We are drawing up a plan for an elegant transition to the announced COVID-19 vaccine,” Sidelinger said.
Sidelinger said the federal government plans to allocate budget to others without insurance coverage for vaccines.
The Oregon Health Authority has no plans to hold vaccine events. Booster doses can be obtained through the Oregon Health System, local public fitness authorities, network organizations, fitness centers and federally qualified pharmacies, Modie said.
Vaccine e-cards, used across tens of thousands of Oregonians as proof of vaccination, will no longer be up to date after May 11, when the federal COVID fitness emergency ends. .
To date, the state has recorded nearly 973,000 COVID cases and 9,530 deaths. There will be more, Sidelinger said.
Hospitalizations have slowed over the past year, dropping below two hundred on March 20 for the first time since last May, Sidelinger said. As of Tuesday, 172 hospitalized patients had COVID. This compares to the other 1178 people hospitalized with COVID on September 1, 2021, the state’s peak.
“We’ve come a long way,” Sidelinger said.
The fitness authority no longer plans COVID briefings.
“We can now return to the activities and resolutions we all enjoyed before the pandemic began in early 2020, but some may continue to make adjustments to their physical condition and that of those around them,” Sidelinger said.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle is owned by States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported through grants and a donor coalition as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Please contact Editor-in-Chief Lynne Terry if you have any questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle. com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.
Lynne Terry has more than 30 years of experience in journalism, adding a recent stint as editor of The Lund Report, a popular fitness news site. He reported on fitness and food protection during his 18 years at The Oregonian, was a senior manufacturer in Oregon. Public Broadcasting and Paris correspondent for National Public Radio for nine years.
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