FILE: Syringes with vaccines are prepared at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans' Community Resource Center where they were offering members and the public free flu and COVID-19 vaccines Oct. 28, 2022, in Lynwood, Calif.
Mark J. Terrill / AP
COVID-19 cases are spiking in Oregon and across the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 40 states have increased virus levels and emergency room visits are at their highest in months.
The Oregon Health Authority reports 14.8% of COVID tests are coming back positive, a significant increase since the spring. That number was only 3.1% at its lowest point this year, during the week of April 27.
“Welcome to summer. Welcome to COVID,” Oregon epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger said in an interview with KGW News on Tuesday.
“You know there are things we can do to protect ourselves, but right now there’s plenty of COVID circulating in our community.”
The virus causing the problem is a variant of the Omicron virus, which appeared three years ago. While the new variant is proving highly contagious, the resulting illnesses do not appear to be as severe.
The reason is that while immunity to severe disease lasts a while, immunity from simple infection only lasts a few months. In practical terms, that means while people are getting sick, they’re not generally getting as sick as in the depths of the 2020 pandemic.
The result is that compared to four years ago, hospitalizations remain relatively low. But they are increasing.
The virus continues to evolve in an effort to stay ahead of the human immune system.
There is a caveat for individuals who have not been vaccinated — or have yet to catch COVID-19. For them, the illness can be more serious as it is the first time they have encountered the virus.
Oregonians are being encouraged to protect themselves using the same measures used for the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that is by social distancing, masking and vaccination.
The Oregon Health Authority said current vaccines do offer some protection.
“Our vaccine, which was developed before the current Omicron variants came out, is still offering some protection in the short-term,” Sidelinger told KGW.
New updated vaccines are scheduled to become available in the fall. The state suggests people consider the new vaccine similar to the flu vaccine, as just part of a routine annual vaccination.
Authorities expect this summer’s COVID-19 surge to continue for a few more weeks before fading away in the fall.