Oregon health officials reported increasing coronavirus case numbers for the third week straight Wednesday, though the seven-day daily average and COVID-positive hospitalizations remain well below recent peaks.
Local forecasters have downgraded past predictions of a wave of cases tied to the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant and as of Jan. 20 anticipated hospitalizations will fall in the weeks ahead.
The state less than a month ago pointed to an Oregon Health & Science University prediction that COVID-positive patients would occupy 367 hospital beds by Feb. 4. The true number of hospitalizations that day was the lowest it has been since May 2021, at 203 occupied beds.
Hospitalizations have climbed since then to 226 occupied beds as of Wednesday. The percent of tests that came back positive was slightly higher this week than the prior week, and wastewater monitoring showed a sustained increase of viral concentrations in late January and early February at testing sites in Siletz, Albany and Bend, while Portland-area sites showed no change in concentrations.
While the XBB.1.5 subvariant has spread rapidly in the Northeast, it has not yet made as much of an impact in the Pacific Northwest, with federal officials currently estimating the subvariant accounts for about 30% of COVID-19 cases in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.
The subvariant accounted for four of 14 samples collected from COVID-positive Oregonians in late January, according to state data released Wednesday.
Federal researchers recently found the omicron-tailored bivalent booster is effective in preventing serious illness and death from the subvariant. As of Monday, just over a fifth of all Oregonians have received the booster, or about 30% of those eligible.
Even when health officials and experts warned XBB would spread rapidly, they were also urging the public to take the potential for more disease in stride.
“In general, we are not seeing a significant cause for concern about XBB.1.5,” state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said Jan. 12 at the Oregon Health Authority’s monthly COVID-19 update. “Variants are expected to emerge over time, and there is no evidence that this variant is more harmful than the currently circulating Omicron.”
Since it began: Oregon has reported 954,077 confirmed or presumed infections and 9,250 deaths.
Hospitalizations: 226 people with confirmed coronavirus infections are hospitalized, up seven since Feb. 1. That includes 26 people in intensive care, up two since Feb. 1.
Vaccinations: As of Feb. 6 the state has reported fully vaccinating 2,994,165 people (70.2% of the population). Some 899,136 people have received a dose of the bivalent booster, which is designed to target the BA.4 and BA.5 coronavirus strains in particular. The Oregon Health Authority publishes updated vaccination numbers monthly, with the next release expected March 8.
New deaths: Since Feb. 1, the Oregon Health Authority has reported 19 additional deaths connected to COVID-19.
— Fedor Zarkhin
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