UPDATE: 6:55 p.m. PT — Oregon's count of novel coronavirus cases still stood at three as of Thursday morning, according to the Oregon Health Authority. OHA said it hadn't completed testing by early Thursday evening and would not have new results until Friday morning.
The COVID-19 virus, a relative of other viruses like SARS, was first identified in Wuhan, China, late last year.
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 11 people, after public health officials reported fatalities in Washington state, mostly in the Seattle area, and in northern California on Wednesday.
KUOW reports as of Thursday morning, Washington state officials have identified 70 cases of COVID-19, up from 39 one day ago. There are 51 cases in King County; 18 in Snohomish County; and one new case that has crossed over the Cascade Mountains into Grant County.
California announced its first death Wednesday in Placer County, and Washington fatalities stand at 10.
As of Thursday morning, there are currently 13 pending COVID-19 tests in Oregon and 115 people who are being monitored for symptoms of the illness.
Oregon Still Limited In Coronavirus Testing
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have loosened federal guidelines for people to receive coronavirus testing in the country, Oregon health leaders said Thursday that the state still doesn’t have the capacity to test large numbers of people.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, COVID-19 tests have been limited to people hospitalized with symptoms of a serious viral lung infection and have tested negative for the flu.
Tri-County health officer Dr. Jennifer Vines said that while the Oregon State Public Health Lab has the capacity to process 80 test kits, that number really only accounts for approximately 40 people per day – because each case is tested twice. So health officials are prioritizing tests for certain people.
“We’re really looking for people sick enough to need to be admitted to a hospital who have symptoms of viral illness deep into their lungs, which would be like a viral pneumonia,” Vines said.
“We’re also asking that those individuals be tested for influenza first, and if they are negative, then they become candidates for COVID-19 testing.”
Tri-County health officer Dr. Jennifer Vines, left, talks about Oregon's finite resources with COVID-19 tests. She's joined by state health officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger, center, Washington County health officer Dr. Christine Baumann and Clackamas County health officer Dr. Sarah Present at the Portland State Office Building in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Mar. 5, 2020.
Donald Orr / OPB
The Oregon Health Authority said they were unable to conduct tests Thursday afternoon after receiving a large volume of samples from health centers. An OHA spokesperson said the samples lacked accompanying documentation that were necessary to conduct the tests.
Officials cited an influx of test requests due to relaxed CDC guidelines. They said they’re conducting tests Thursday night, with results due out Friday morning.
Unlike Washington and California which have multiple commercial and local public test labs available, Oregon only conducts COVID-19 tests in one lab, at the Oregon State Public Health Lab.
“No commercial laboratories are open and available for this testing yet,” said state health officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger.
“We haven’t been given a definitive timeline by our federal partners, so for the time being, that’s why we’re prioritizing those who are potentially experiencing complications from this.”
Officials expect that the capacity for more tests will increase in the coming weeks.
The OHA said it’s preparing plans and guidance for people vulnerable to the disease, including older adults, and people in detention facilities, long term care centers, or homeless shelters.
Officials recommend that people with mild symptoms do not need to be tested for COVID-19, and should stay home if they’re feeling ill. The OHA also urges people to get their seasonal flu vaccine, citing an uptick in flu cases.
When test results were last released Wednesday evening, there were still three positive cases of COVID-19 in Oregon, one of which had beenconfirmed by the CDC.
Co-pays And Deductibles
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Thursday afternoon that the state has reached an agreement with health insurance companies to waive some costs related to the COVID-19 virus.
Related: Vice President Pence Visits Washington As State's Coronavirus Outbreak Grows
The agreement means people who have fully-insured individual or group health insurance will not be charged co-payments, co-insurance or deductibles related to COVID-19 testing at an in-network provider, in-network urgent care center or emergency, or for COVID-19 immunization at the point it becomes available.
Outside of those instances, regular payments will still apply.
“No one should have to ask if getting a COVID-19 test is something they can afford,” Brown said. “I hope this agreement sets a framework that other states can follow nationwide.”
Brown said the state is pursuing the same agreement with self-insured health plans. The state is also seeking clarification from the U.S. government about cost exceptions for Medicare Advantage plans and health savings account eligible high-deductible health plans.
Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced similar emergency rules to require insurance companies to covering the cost of testing for COVID-19 without co-pays and deductibles.
Forest Hills Reopening
The Lake Oswego School District reopened Forest Hills Elementary Thursday morning. The school was briefly closed after an employee was found to have contracted Oregon's first case of the COVID-19 virus.
Lake Oswego School District Superintendent Lora de la Cruz said the school employee became ill on Feb. 19 and stayed home from work. The school was closed through Wednesday because that was the 14-day point from when the person became ill — the presumed incubation period of the coronavirus.
The employee was in a role that does not have close contact with students, de la Cruz said.
“Throughout this journey our heart and minds have remained with our staff member, a beloved member of our community, who tested positive with the coronavirus,” de la Cruz said. “We wish for a swift recovery so that we may welcome this person back to Forest Hills soon.”
De la Cruz said the district has dedicated resources to cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces in all schools.
The district has also started to develop contingency plans for potential online learning.
Clackamas County declared a state of emergency Monday. Washington County, where the Lake Oswego employee lives, also approved a similar emergency declaration Wednesday.
Pence Visits Washington
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is set to visit Washington Thursday afternoon to meet with Gov. Jay Inslee and other state officials to discuss the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Pence will be meeting with officials and touring the emergency management center at the Camp Murray Army Base. Later in the afternoon, he and Gov. Inslee are slated to make statements to the media.