Data from the Oregon Health Authority shows the curve of new COVID-19 infections is likely flattening, though it’s too early to say for certain. Image from April 9, 2020, showing April 8 data.
State and local health authorities and hospitals are sharing a variety of data related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s often spread across various websites, Facebook posts and emails and difficult to access.
The Oregon Health Authority’s case data suggests the state’s stay-at-home measures are working, with the number of reported new COVID-19 cases each day starting to slow. Health officials have been cautiously optimistic that if Oregon stays the course, hospitals across the state won’t be overloaded as once feared.
Salem Reporter has compiled key data showing what information about COVID-19 cases in the Salem area and how we compare to the rest of the state. This data is current as of April 8, 2020.
Since Salem Health began reporting COVID-19 patient data for Salem Hospital in late March, the percentage of hospital beds occupied has climbed slightly. As the hospital gets tests results back, more patients under its care have been confirmed to have COVID-19.
Of Marion County’s 221 residents confirmed to have COVID-19, 65 have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Salem Hospital’s patients are counted in their county of residence, so not all hospital patients are Marion County cases, and Marion County patients may be hospitalized elsewhere.
While deaths in Marion County and across Oregon have been mostly among elderly residents, Salem-area cases have been spread across adults. The county has not released an age breakdown for those hospitalized with the illness.
Oregon has shipped needed protective equipment to counties based on population and the number of people with COVID-19. County emergency management departments then distribute the equipment to local providers and agencies who need it. On April 8, the state began releasing data about those shipments.
As of April 8, Oregon’s stockpile was out of face shields and N-95 masks, according to a daily briefing report. The report noted shortages were likely across the state as hospitals begin to treat more confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients.
Oregon’s supply is replenished from state purchases, donations and the federal stockpile of equipment.
Marion County has had the highest rate of COVID-19 cases per capita since early in Oregon’s outbreak, though it’s not testing a higher percentage of residents than many other urban counties. State and county public health officials say it’s difficult to explain why, or to tell how significant the data is since so few Oregonians are being tested at all.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander at [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
