March 27, 2022
United States: Cumulative Cases: 81,617,564, Cumulative Deaths: 1,003,428
World: Cumulative Cases: 481,662,511, Cumulative Deaths: 6,147,482
The official count of total Covid deaths in the U.S. has now reached a milestone of over one million – not counting the number of mortalities that have gone unreported. Behind heart disease and cancer, Covid is now the third leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC.
Life expectancy trends have declined around the world as a result of the pandemic, but a recent study of 29 high-income countries found that the U.S. experienced the largest decline in 2020 and, unlike much of Europe, did not rebound in 2021.
March 26, 2022
Benton County: New Cases: 4, Cumulative Cases: 15,023, Cumulative Deaths: 66
Oregon: New Cases: 184, Cumulative Cases: 702,750, Cumulative Deaths: 7,035
Across U.S., High-Risk, Immunocompromised People Lack Access to Poorly Distributed Covid Drug
Evusheld, a new drug that was granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for preventing Covid, has become increasingly inaccessible for people who require a medical countermeasure to the Covid vaccines.
The drug is the only prevention currently available for immunocompromised people – including transplant patients, some cancer patients, and those who take certain medications for rheumatoid arthritis and/or other conditions – who have had weak responses to the vaccines. The federal government distributes Evusheld and other Covid treatments to states based on their population, which state health departments then distribute to various locations.
However, more than three months into the rollout, thousands of unused boxes of the drug have been sitting on pharmacy shelves across the U.S. The federal government has not provided a thorough plan to pharmacists on how to distribute this treatment option, and many doctors still have little knowledge of it. In addition, for doctors who do know about Evusheld, identifying where it’s available is often a difficult task, as the federal government’s locator website doesn’t list all of the locations that carry it.
“For people who did everything they could but didn’t have an adequate response to the vaccines, [Evusheld] is their only hope, and to deny them that because of a disorganized and chaotic distribution and education rollout is just terrible,” said Dr. Dorry Segev, a transplant surgeon and epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health.
Read the full story here.
March 25, 2022
Benton County: New Cases: 16, Cumulative Cases: 15,019, Cumulative Deaths: 66
Oregon: New Cases: 278, Cumulative Cases: 702,566 , Cumulative Deaths: 7,033
The state of Oregon has administered 7.52 million doses of Covid vaccines. This means that 2.91 million Oregonians are fully vaccinated – that’s 69.1% of the population.
In total, Oregon has conducted 10,787,265 Covid tests. Just over 08.5% of those tests were positive.
March 24, 2022
Benton County: New Cases: 9, Cumulative Cases: 15,003, Cumulative Deaths: 66
Oregon: New Cases: 296, Cumulative Cases: 702,288 , Cumulative Deaths: 7,013
While Benton County has kept new Covid cases below the double digit mark for another day, there was another death bringing total death for this county to 66.
Oregon passed the grim milestone of passing 7,000 deaths due to Covid yesterday.
Neighboring County Statistics
Lane County: Cumulative Cases: 56,995, Cumulative Deaths: 495
Lincoln County: Cumulative Cases: 6,988, Cumulative Deaths: 79
Linn County: Cumulative Cases: 26,340, Cumulative Deaths: 247
Marion County: Cumulative Cases: 68,650, Cumulative Deaths: 689
Polk County: Cumulative Cases: 15,214, Cumulative Deaths: 127
Yamhill County: Cumulative Cases: 17,681, Cumulative Deaths: 205
State Statistics
Over the past six weeks, the original Omicron variant continues to be the most prevalent throughout the state. Omicron subvariant BA.2 is beginning to make small inroads into the state with as high as 10.88% of all cases at one point. At most, 2.04% of cases have been classified as other.
There are currently 165 people hospitalized in Oregon with a Covid diagnosis. Of those, 27 are in Intensive Care Units. This leaves the state with 8% of all non-ICU beds available and 13% of ICU beds available.
In Region 2 – in which you’ll find Benton County – there are 94 out of 99 adult ICU beds occupied, meaning only 5 are available to Benton, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties. Of the 713 non-adult ICU beds in the region, 670 are occupied and 43 are available.
Yesterday, 2,785 additional doses of the Covid vaccine were added to the total number given in Oregon.
If you are looking for a Covid vaccine, either contact your health provider or come to one of the vaccine events listed at the bottom of this page.
By Sally K Lehman
March 23, 2022
Benton County: New Cases: 5, Cumulative Cases: 14,994, Cumulative Deaths: 65
Oregon: New Cases: 263, Cumulative Cases: 701,992 , Cumulative Deaths: 6,983
The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron continues to make the news. BA.2 has become known as both OmniDelt and Deltacron, but is still officially called a “stealth” subvariant – stealth because it has genetic mutations that make it difficult to distinguish it from Delta.
Regardless of what you call it, BA.2 is beginning to make inroads into the U.S. accounting for 22% of all cases two weeks ago and 35% of all cases last week. And where some states are seeing increased cases – New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey, BA.2 accounts for over half of all new cases.
Looking at the pattern of infections in the U.K and Europe, which has allowed the U.S. to foresee what will happen here in the past, the number of Covid cases will likely rise. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not anticipate a surge in terms of extreme caseloads, hospitalizations, and deaths.
By Sally K Lehman
March 22, 2022
Benton County: New Cases: 13, Cumulative Cases: 14,989, Cumulative Deaths: 65
Oregon: New Cases: 531, Cumulative Cases: 701,729 , Cumulative Deaths: 6,975
Over the weekend, only four people died of Covid in the state of Oregon.
Covid Vaccines for Kids
Doctor giving a child an intramuscular injection in arm
It’s been a month since the Food and Drug Administration chose to not authorize a Covid vaccine for children under the age of five, bur the Pfizer trials have continued in the pharmaceutical company’s South Central Nebraska facility. The main focus at the moment is a third dose of the vaccine to improve immunity.
Outside of the trial, about 18 million children are still not eligible for the shot, leading parents throughout the U.S. to drive several hours to have their children participate in the Pfizer trial in hopes of keeping kids free of the virus. The company believes they will receive approval in May.
Moderna has also stepped up, reporting they will release their data from a trial in children two to five years old. This after the Moderna vaccine has only been approved for adults to date.
Johnson & Johnson is also running a trial with hopes to be made available to children aged 12 to 17.
Approximately 400 U.S. children have died from Covid.
Aside from the previous administration’s claim that children are nearly immune, Covid can cause severe illness in children – particularly those with underlying health conditions. And, although rare, some children have developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children after having the virus.
By Sally K Lehman
March 21, 2022
United States: Cumulative Cases: 81,407,028, Cumulative Deaths: 997,924
World: Cumulative Cases: 470,579,965, Cumulative Deaths: 6,099,742
Since this time last week, an additional 4,113 people in the U.S. have died from Covid. This is 12% of the 34,024 people who died worldwide.
The U.S. also saw another 232,351 new cases, while the world added 12,427,796 new cases. Meaning the U.S. accounted for slightly less than 2% of all newly reported cases.
Covid Still With Us
In China, millions are under a stay-at-home order from the government in response to the largest Covid outbreak in two years. The culprit for these new cases lies in the Omicron variant and its extremely contagious nature. The country has reported only 4,638 deaths due to Covid – they had reported zero deaths for more than a year until two elderly people died recently.
Also in the news is the lengthening list of people who are testing positive after the British Academy Film Awards – also known as the BAFTAs. The awards were held in London last Sunday, March 13, and have led to a swath of people catching Covid beginning with Kenneth Branagh and Ciaran Hinds then adding at least one movie executive. Positive tests in London may well lead to fewer attendees at the Oscars next Sunday. What the U.S. movie industry will be doing about the possibility of the Oscars becoming another spreader event is still unknown.
By Sally K Lehman
Community Vaccination Events
Corvallis
Location: Lincoln Health Center, 121 SE Viewmont Ave
Every Monday in March, from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Every Wednesday in March, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Every Friday in March, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monroe
Location: Monroe Health Center, 610 Dragon Dr
Every Tuesday in March, from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 24, from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Alsea
Location: Alsea Health Center, 435 E Alder St
Thursday, March 31, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com